Papa Joseph, lead me to your Son

 “When we receive Holy Communion, let us consider that Jesus comes to us as a little baby, and then let us pray that St. Joseph helps us welcome him, as when he held him in his arms.”— St. Joseph Marello

I did it. I finished my 33-day journey and I consecrated myself to St. Joseph. In the past year, I have consecrated myself to our Blessed Mother, to the Holy Eucharist and to St. Joseph. It’s the perfect trifecta. I am now consecrated to the entire Holy Family. An honor that I cannot take for granted.

Getting to know Papa Joseph on this journey has been truly amazing. Papa Joseph was more than a stepfather to Jesus. He was His earthly father who taught Him how to be a Good Man, a Hard Worker, an Obedient Son and who helped to prepare Him for His mission. Papa Joseph never took any credit. He always stayed in the background giving all the attention to our Blessed Mother and His Son. But what an important role he played in their life. God chose him specifically for the mission to protect and guide Jesus and Mama Mary. He protected them in Bethlehem, in Egypt, in Nazareth and in Jerusalem. He was not around physically for Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection, but I have no doubt that he was very present spiritually. I know that he has a very special place in Heaven next to his Son. And I am sure, that just like our Blessed Mother, he was assumed into heaven body and soul, which is the reason why his earthly body has never been found. 

Now that I have gotten to know Papa Joseph better, my love for the Eucharist has grown exponentially. It’s like Papa Joseph wants to lead me to His Son. There is a beautiful statue of St. Joseph at Church of the Little Flower, where I did my consecration and where I’ve been attending mass almost daily. Every time I look towards St. Joseph, I feel like he’s telling me, don’t look at me, keep your eyes on the Eucharist. 

I have also been visiting the Adoration Chapel as often as I’m able to, but I had never noticed that it had a name. This week I discovered that it’s called St. Joseph’s Adoration Chapel. I was touched to the core when I saw the name. Papa Joseph certainly wants me to adore His Son. And yes, just like in the main Church, there is a beautiful statue of St. Joseph in the chapel. But he doesn’t want me to look at him. He wants me to keep my eyes on the Eucharist. 

Papa Joseph also reminds me of my own stepfather who played such an important role in my formation, both spiritual and intellectual. Just like St. Joseph, my dad was a quiet man, very humble, who stayed away from the limelight and who adored both my mom and me. I am the woman I am today because of him. He also always knew that he was not my real father and never allowed me to forget who my real father was, even though I was separated from him for 25 years. St. Joseph also knew that God was Jesus’ real father, and he always took a step back to allow God to be the One to lead. 

In the process of consecrating myself to St. Joseph, I also got to know a pretty amazing priest. Father Donald H. Calloway is the priest that guided me and a group of fellow pilgrims on our consecration. He wrote the book: “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father.” He also accompanies the books with videos that he recorded back in 2020 when he led a live consecration. And in addition to doing the Consecration, I read Father Calloway’s conversion story in his book “No Turning Back.” It was like reading a mini-version of St. Augustine’s conversion story. His mother was another St. Monica who never gave up in praying for her son. My favorite part of the book is when Father Calloway realizes, the first time he attended mass at the age of 20, that the “little white circle” that the priest was holding was Jesus:

“I knew immediately that this was Holy Communion — that this was the Blessed Sacrament, and I was in the presence of God. I understood God is so in love with mankind that He comes and makes Himself present in extreme humility — in what looks to be a little piece of bread. Except it’s not bread anymore. It’s a miracle. It’s Jesus!”

It is an honor to have gotten to know Papa Joseph through the eyes of Father Calloway, and to be consecrated to this humble man and to his Holy Family. Now, I know that I have another father in heaven that loves me, protects me, and guides me. Papa Joseph, lead me to your Son. 

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

The First Adoration Chapel

“St. Joseph established the world’s first Adoration chapel: Bethlehem.” from the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father” by Father Donald H. Calloway, MIC

I am in awe of St. Joseph. I have always been in love with our Blessed Mother, but I was not very close to her spouse. After spending 21 days reading and hearing about him, the more I want to learn about him. 

On this 21st day of my Consecration Journey, I learned something that makes a lot of sense, but it had never occurred to me. “Wherever St. Joseph traveled with his wife and Son, his home became an Adoration chapel.” How awesome is that. “St. Joseph is the founder of Adoration chapels.”

Little Flower has an Adoration chapel which is open 24/07. You just need a 4-digit code to enter. What do you think it is? Hint, hint: I just shared it. Every time I have the opportunity to go, I stop for a few minutes. It’s so peaceful in there. Next time I go, I will thank St. Joseph for being the founder of Adoration chapels.

The very first Adoration chapel was established in Bethlehem. Think about that and just be amazed. “Saint Joseph went in haste with Mary to Bethlehem which means ‘house of bread,’ so that the bread of eternal life might be born there.” — Venerable Joseph Mindszenty. “How fitting it is that the first public exposition of the Living Bread from Heaven took place in Bethlehem.” 

I visited Bethlehem in 2018, and I learned that Bethlehem meant “house of bread,” but truly, I had never made the connection to the Eucharist. It makes sense, though. The Eucharist is the living bread. During the transubstantiation, a piece of plain bread becomes the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Christ. And that Bread was born in the “house of bread.”

“The first Adoration chapel was visited by local shepherds, followed closely by Wise Men who came from a distant land to pay homage to the newborn God-King.” Today, the Adoration chapels are open to anyone, and yet, many times, they are empty. “Mary, God’s tabernacle, is replicated in every tabernacle in a Catholic church. What is often missing in front of these tabernacles, however, are souls who resemble St. Joseph — souls who adore Jesus present and hidden in the tabernacle. The Church needs more people like St. Joseph.”

Will I be like St. Joseph and adore Jesus the way he did? Or will I take the Eucharist for granted? I am so blessed that in Miami I have the opportunity to visit many Catholic churches with an Adoration chapel that is open 24/07 (hint, hint). Even though we currently cannot visit the places where Jesus was born, lived and died, He is present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity, in the Blessed Sacrament of every Catholic Church around the world. “The Eucharist is Jesus Christ. The Blessed Sacrament is the source and summit of the Christian faith, and St. Joseph wants to lead you to a deeper relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist.”

Papa Joseph, pray for us. 

This meditation was inspired by “Adorer of Christ” from the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father” by Donald H. Calloway, MIC. All sentences in quotes were taken directly from the book. 

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

St. Joseph, Guardian of the Eucharist

“Go to Joseph and do whatever he tells you!” — Gen 41:55

During Lent, I did the Eucharistic Consecration led by Matthew Kelly which was amazing. I’m still in awe of what an incredible miracle the Lord left us in the Eucharist.

Now, I am doing the Consecration to St. Joseph using the book written by Donald H. Calloway, MIC. Keeping up with the readings and videos has been a bit of a struggle because I have been extremely busy with the end of tax season. By the time I get home exhausted from a long day, the last thing I want to do is read the book and listen to a 45-minute video. I had fallen six days behind and was ready to call it quits, but yesterday,  I had the opportunity to catch up. I  have not watched the videos yet, but I read the six chapters back to back. How much I would have missed if I had given up. 

One of the things that I have found most inspiring is the connection of St. Joseph to the Eucharist. Father Calloway compares St. Joseph to Joseph of Egypt from the Old Testament. The story of that Joseph is well known. There’s even a broadway musical about him: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” After being sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph ends up in Egypt. Pharaoh puts him in charge of all the granaries in Egypt after Joseph tells Pharaoh that there will be seven years of famine. “Joseph collected grain like the sands of the sea, so much that at last he stopped measuring it, for it was beyond measure.” Gen 41:49

St. Joseph also ends up in Egypt after being warned by an angel in a dream that he must flee in order to save the baby Jesus from being killed by Herod. St. Joseph protected and preserved the Bread of Life for us.

St. Joseph now desires that we receive the Bread of Life at Holy Mass. There is no greater intimacy with Jesus possible in this life than when we receive the Eucharist. The Blessed Sacrament is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Without St. Joseph, we would not have the Living Bread of the Eucharist. Mary kneaded the dough in her sacred womb; St. Joseph lovingly preserved the Bread in Egypt. He made it possible for all his children to receive the Bread of Everlasting Life. According to Venerable Fulton J. Sheen, St. Joseph is still charged with guarding the Living Bread. He continues to guard and preserve the Bread of Life in every tabernacle in the world. 

I was able to attend mass daily during Lent. As a cradle Catholic, I had been taking the Eucharist for granted. But after consecrating myself to the Eucharist, I have come to realize what a privilege I have to be able to receive the Bread of Life every single day if I want to. I am blessed to be surrounded by churches that offer masses at different times during the day, so it’s up to me to make the time to receive the Bread that feeds my soul. 

The Joseph of the Old Testament became the guardian of the bread in Egypt and St. Joseph became the guardian of the Eucharist. St. Joseph’s Heavenly Bread is more numerous than the sands of the sea. This Heavenly Bread is able to feed all the multitudes and satisfy every soul. Thanks to St. Joseph, we have the bread of life today. 

This meditation was inspired by “Wonder 2: Ite Ad Joseph” from the book “Consecration to St. Joseph: The Wonders of our Spiritual Father” by Donald H. Calloway, MIC

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

A Different Morning

“Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord.’” John 20:18

My plan was to go to St. Augustine. God’s plan today coincided with mine. We made it to St. Augustine by 6:20 am, and there was plenty of parking. 

Why did I choose to go to St. Augustine today? It’s one of the few churches that offers a Sunrise Easter Mass. There is something absolutely beautiful to celebrating a mass outside, under the moon and stars, and seeing the day turn from dark to light. We didn’t actually get to see the sunrise because we were not by the bay, but listening to the birds sing as they welcome the new morning is truly inspiring. And seeing the sky turn from a very dark blue, almost black, to a light blue is like watching an artist turn a blank canvas into a colorful masterpiece.

I love the sunrise mass too because the Easter story begins early in the morning. Many people will start their day with the Easter rabbit, egg hunts and Easter baskets. There was a time I put more effort into that than in waking up early to get to Mass. When my children were little, I hid eggs around the house and backyard, I prepared their Easter baskets and I talked to them about the Easter bunny. Beautiful stories, but Easter is so much more than that.

The Easter story begins when Mary of Magdala discovers the empty tomb. Where is Jesus? I like to think, like St. Ignatius of Loyola, that Jesus had gone to visit His Mother, our Blessed Virgin Mary, but that’s a story I have shared in the past so I won’t repeat it today. 

Today, I will focus on the other Mary. I have been watching the series “The Chosen” during Lent. Mary is the first “chosen” one that appears on the very first episode of “The Chosen.” She’s possessed by demons. It’s a very intense and dramatic episode. I almost got discouraged from watching the rest of the series, but I’m so glad I didn’t because it’s truly an amazing recount of Jesus’ life and the people He chose. 

At one point in the first episode, Mary (who was called Lilith, the name of one of the evil spirit that possessed her), even considers ending her life because she was so badly tormented by these demons. But then she looks up and sees a white dove, and she follows it. Afterwards, she encounters Jesus and He calls her Mary. She turns around because Mary is her birth name, and she remembers her father’s teaching from the book of Isaiah which says: “I have called you by name, you are mine.” Jesus casts out her evil spirits, and she begins to follow Him.

In the Bible, Mary is the first person to encounter the Risen Jesus. As Father Vigoa told us in his homily: “She becomes the apostle sent by Jesus to take the Good News to the other apostles.” What an honor she was granted. She went to the tomb expecting to find her dead Master, and instead, she encounters Him very much alive.

Easter is an invitation to all of us to be like Mary. We are invited to share the Good News. 

Today is a different morning because we have received the Good News that we will live forever. There is life beyond the cross. Whatever pain we are carrying, we must take courage because it will pass.

Today is a different morning because Jesus has conquered death. He is Risen. Alleluia!!! 

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

A Different Night

“If I, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do.” John 13:14-15

My plan was to go to St. Augustine. God’s plan was that I went to Little Flower. 

Why did I choose to go to St. Augustine instead of Little Flower which is my parish? It was just a matter of timing. The services on Holy Thursday last about two hours. St. Augustine was starting at 7 pm. Little Flower was starting at 8 pm. I wake up very early, so by 9 pm I’m wiped out. Therefore, it was just a matter of timing.

I arrived to St. Augustine at 6:40 pm, twenty minutes before the services began, and their parking lot was already full. My hubby drove around the church, and there was not even a tiny space where to squeeze in our car. I was actually so happy to see this. The Church was packed, long before the services even started. St. Augustine is next to the University of Miami. I could imagine that many young people would be there as well.

We drove one block away, and saw a small space between two cars on the opposite side of the road. My husband drove to the corner to be able to do a u-turn and return to grab that spot. A car was coming in the opposite direction so he rushed to beat him. But by the time we returned, another car had stopped and had his left signal blinking, indicating that he had every intention to grab that spot we had seen first. But we were on our way to mass so we were not going to behave like most people would in a shopping center fighting for the last available spot. We drove on and allowed that man to take that space.

At that point we decided it was best to head to Little Flower. And what a blessing that was. We arrived a whole hour early, thus giving us the opportunity to get ready for the services. We were not the first ones, but there was plenty of seats available so we got to sit towards the front. At St. Augustine most likely we would not have found space not even at the back of the church. We would have had to stand for the entire service or sit on the sides. This would not have been good for my ADD.

I have been doing a Holy Week retreat with Matthew Kelly. On the Holy Thursday meditation, he said: “Arrive a little early so you can put yourself in the state of mind necessary to experience mass as if it were your first, last, and only mass.” I arrived not a little early but a huge early. It was God’s plan for me. I was able to pray before mass. I was even able to read the “Florida Catholic” which has great stories and I hardly ever take the time to read it.

One of the things that happened on the first Holy Thursday when Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with his disciples was the institution of the priesthood. I read about a celebration that took place in our Archdiocese recently, where fourteen priests were honored for their combined 625 years of service to our Church, and six religious women and one Jesuit priest celebrated a combined 340 years of religious life. The services at Little Flower were presided by about ten priests. One by one they said how many years they had been serving as priests, and we had almost 200 years of combined service in our midst.

I am sure the services at St. Augustine were just as great, but I was meant to be at Little Flower. I witnessed the washing of the feet of 12 parishioners, 6 men and 6 women, ranging in age from about 5 years old to over 90. The little girl was simply adorable. She sat on the stool waiting patiently for the priest to get to her. She put out her little foot for Father Manny Alvarez to wash it. At the end, I saw Father Manny give her an affectionate peck on the cheek. I would not have been able to witness this if I had been at the back of the church.

The washing of the feet made me reflect on the one that took place 2,000 years ago when Jesus washed his disciples feet. As Matthew Kelly points out on his meditation: “These men, they didn't wear shoes like you and I wear. They didn't bathe like you and I do. They wore open sandals and wandered along dusty roads. Their feet would have been filthy and sweaty and smelly.” But as the Scriptures read, "The Son of Man came to serve, not to be served."

My plan was to go to St. Augustine, but I’m so glad that God had a different plan, and that as a pilgrim, I allowed Him to lead me. As Father Manny said in his homily, this night was different than all other nights. I didn’t get home until past 10, but it did not matter. I got to spend three hours with Jesus. I shared the Last Supper with Him when I received the Eucharist which contains His Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. He instituted the Eucharist on this day when He said "Take this, all of you, and eat. This is my body." 

I also got to spend time with Him in the Garden of Gethsemane. After the services ended, Father Manny took the Holy Hosts that had been consecrated for Good Friday, to the altar of repose that had been prepared next door at Comber Hall. We followed him in procession around the church. The altar of repose was in the middle surrounded by plants which reminded me of the Garden of Gethsemane which I was blessed to visit in the Holy Land six years ago. I knelt with Jesus at the Garden where His anguish was so overwhelming that He begins to sweat blood. 

There were a lot of people at this garden, keeping Him company, just like the disciples kept Him company all those years ago at that other Garden. And just like them, I was tired and falling asleep, but I knew that God had brought me here on this different night to teach me a lesson. I learned on this different night, that God loves me unconditionally, He serves me without expecting me to pay Him back, and He washes my feet willingly. And I must do to others what He has done for me.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Am I a Pilgrim or a Tourist?

 “Tourists want everything to go exactly as they have planned. Tourists get upset if there are delays. They demand prompt attention to their every need. They focus on themselves… Pilgrims look for signs. If delayed, they ask, “What is God trying to say to me?” Pilgrims are aware of the needs of others. Pilgrims count their blessings.” Matthew Kelly

I am doing a Journey to Eucharistic Consecration during this Lent. It is based on Matthew Kelly’s book “33 Days to Eucharistic Glory.” On one of the meditations, I was asked: “Are you a pilgrim or a tourist?” This question really got me thinking. How do I approach life? Do I live my life as a tourist or a pilgrim?

I think the answer lies in between. Sometimes I’m a tourist and other times I’m a pilgrim. And there is a huge difference between the two. When I’m a tourist, I get annoyed easily when my carefully planned life doesn’t go the way I want it. I place more attention to the things of the world than I do to my spiritual life. I become more superficial, focusing on how people see me rather than how God sees me. 

When I’m a pilgrim, on the other hand, I see changes in plans as an opportunity from God to try something different. I ask myself: “Is God trying to tell me something here?” Is this delay God’s way of keeping me out of trouble? As a pilgrim, I pay more attention to my spiritual life and I try to see God’s message to me in everything I do. When I’m a pilgrim, I live my life as if everything is a miracle. 

I had the opportunity last weekend to put this concept into action. On Sunday, the only day I’m giving myself permission to drink wine during Lent, the hubby and I decided to go to an Italian wine bar near our son’s house in New York. As we were leaving, my son said: “That wine bar you are going to is not that great, but there’s another one on the other side of Central Park that is really good.” We took his word for it, and decided to walk the mile across the park, even though it was extremely cold. He had sent us the link to the place, so we just opened it up in Google Maps and headed to our destination.

When we finally arrived, the wine bar was no where to be found. I checked the address, saw that we were at the right avenue but the wrong number. We started walking north trying to find the right number, but the addresses in New York are not like in Miami. They don’t follow the same numbering system. In Miami, if the house number is 4763, you know that the location is between 47th and 48th. In New York, the numbers don’t match the streets. We were at number 1300 on 79th St and 3rd Ave, and we had to get to number 1614. In Miami, that would have been three blocks. In New York, we had to walk all the way to 92nd St. Thirteen blocks in 30 degree temperatures. 

By this time, I was getting pretty hangry. I was hungry, I was cold, and I was tired. I had mentally prepared myself to walk one mile, not two. But then, I remembered. I could treat this as a tourist or a pilgrim. I decided for the latter. Maybe God had sent us on a longer route for a reason. I began to pay attention to the people around me, to the signs, but nothing really stood out to me.

Finally, we arrived at the wine bar. I was expecting an Italian wine bar, but instead, when we sat down, we realized that we were at a South African wine bar. At this point, I was ready to kill my son. The entire wine list was wines from South Africa, which we knew nothing about. And the menu… I couldn’t recognize a single dish: “Kombuis… what in the world is kombuis?” I was very close to getting up and walking out, but once again, I told myself: “I can take the attitude of a tourist and be upset, or I can be a pilgrim and make the best of this experience.” And what a wonderful experience it turned out to be. 

The young man that took care of us was a sweetheart. He moved from South Africa to New York at the end of 2019, right before the pandemic hit. He gave us a lesson on South African wines, which turned out to be delicious. He talked about his country with such pride, it was contagious. I was ready to book a trip to Zimbabwe. And he recommended some items from the menu which were amazing: Lam Sosaties (lamb skewers), Roasted oesters (oysters), Viskoekie sliders (crusted fishcake) and a few others. In the end, we told him how we had ended up at his place, and were ready to bolt out of there, but we were so happy to have stayed. He was so grateful that even though we didn’t want dessert, he treated us to one of the most delicious bread puddings I have ever tasted. And the best treat came at the end, when we went to pay and he told us that Benedict and Dominic (our grandsons) had paid for our food.

Sometimes, life is full of surprises. We could have left the place as upset tourists because it was not what we were expecting, and we would have missed out on a great experience. But because we chose to remain as pilgrims, we ended up meeting a wonderful young man, and we tried some delicious South African dishes, which we would have never discovered on our own. 

Definitely, it’s much better to live life as a pilgrim than a tourist. I can’t wait to see what next surprise God has in store for me.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Two for the price of one

This Lent, I have two invitations for you. You can pick one or both, it’s up to you. The first one, I had already decided to do it since Advent. The second one felt on my lap last week. I have been praying about it, and it finally hit me this morning. Why pick just one? Let everyone choose depending on their time and schedules. If you can only do one, that’s great, but if you can do both, wonderful. You’ll get two for the price of one. And what’s the price? Immeasurable blessings. 

So here are the two Lenten journeys:

1. A Lenten Journey with Mary: from Bethlehem to Jerusalem. 

This is part two of the journey that I shared during Advent. We will walk with Mary from Jesus’ birth to the cross. We will be with her when the Magi arrive at the stable, when she presents Jesus to God in the Temple, when she has to escape to Egypt, and we will accompany her on the way to Calvary. I published this journey on my blog in 2020 during the pandemic and it helped a lot of people. I hope it does the same this year for those that decide to join us.

I will send/post the link to the meditations every morning during the 40 days of Lent, which means I will not be posting on Sundays. If you would like to receive the link to the meditations by text, WhatsApp or email, please send me a private message.

2. A Journey to Eucharistic Consecration. 

Last week I found out that Matthew Kelly will be leading a spiritual pilgrimage this Lent using his book “33 Days to Eucharistic Glory.” I received this book by mail at the end of 2023, and it confirmed my decision to use the “Eucharist” as my theme for this year’s blog posts. I have not read the book yet because I was waiting for the right time. Lent is the right time. I will be doing this pilgrimage this Lent to consecrate myself to the Eucharist. If you want to join me, here’s the link to sign up and receive daily email reflections starting on Ash Wednesday.

https://www.dynamiccatholic.com/lent.html

This link will also give you the option to order the book. You don’t need to buy the book, the reflections are free, but I highly recommend that you get the book too. And if the book doesn’t arrive by Ash Wednesday, no worries, they will send you a free download of the first seven days.

If you choose to join both journeys, you will receive both meditations in the morning. You can then decide if you want to read them back to back, or do one in the morning and one at night. It’s up to you. Let the Holy Spirit guide you, and to quote Matthew Kelly, let this be your “best Lent ever.”

God bless you and happy journey(s).