Persevering in the Little Things

 “The path from dreams to success does exist. May you have the vision to find it, the courage to get on to it, and the perseverance to follow it.” Kalpana Chawla 

Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-born woman to go to space. When she decided to obtain a degree in Aeronautical Engineering, professors tried to dissuade her because there were limited opportunities for girls in India to follow this career path. However, Chawla was adamant that this was the subject for her, and she persevered until she obtained it. After completing her Engineering Degree in India, she came to the United States where she obtained a Masters Degree and a doctorate in Aerospace Engineering. She reached her dream of going into space in 1997 aboard the space shuttle Columbia. Her second flight into space took place in 2003, but unfortunately, upon returning to earth, the shuttle plunged into the ground killing Chawla and the other six astronauts. Even though her career was short-lived, she left a lasting legacy of inspiring children in India and around the world to pursue a career in space.

When I read Chawla’s biography, I was inspired by her courage and determination. Even though she was faced with many difficulties, she was determined to follow her dreams, and she persevered until she reached them. Being a woman in India, it must have taken a lot of courage to go against the flow. But she stepped outside the comfort zone, and she pushed against all the obstacles.

In life, it’s very easy to settle into a routine and avoid taking risks. But is that what God wants from us? We all have God-given talents waiting to be unleashed. But unless we have the determination to step out of our routines, and the courage to challenge ourselves, we will never unlock our full potential.

We first need to identify what is holding us back. Once we do that, we need to take small steps outside our comfort zone. Every small step we take or every little thing we accomplish should be a cause for celebration. We need to savor each achievement before we rush toward the next step. Each triumph, no matter how small, will give us an opportunity to renew our motivation and strengthen our determination.

We may find difficulties or setbacks in our path, but with determination, we can turn them into stepping stones instead of stumbling blocks. That is why it’s important to start small. We cannot aim for major life changes overnight. Making steady progress will help us to persevere in the long haul.

Even though Chawla made the ultimate sacrifice in service to the space program, her legacy lives on through her fellow astronauts and those she has inspired to follow in her footsteps. She is a guiding light for many students that look at her life and think, “If she did it, I can do it too.” We also have a guiding light as we strive to unleash our talents. God is that guiding light. With His help, we can achieve amazing things. By stepping out of our comfort zone, persevering in the little things, and never giving up in the face of challenges, God will reward us by helping us to achieve our biggest dreams.

Copyright © 2025 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Stay with Me, Lord

“Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak and I need Your strength, that I may not fall so often… Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all it’s dangers. I need You.” St. Pio of Pietrelcina

A few months ago, I received a prayer card with a prayer from St. Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), “Stay with Me, Lord.” I have been praying it after communion, but yesterday, it became my mantra before and after my surgery. I kept repeating, “Stay with me, Lord,” and I also added His Holy Parents to the prayer, “Stay with me Mama Mary. Stay with me Papa Joseph.” It helped me tremendously. 

Here’s a link to the full prayer:

https://padrepiodevotions.org/stay-with-me-lord/

I also have an amazing group of Prayer Warriors from all stages of my life. I have the “Encuentristas” group. This is a group that began when I was just 16 years old and attended an “Encuentro Juvenil” (Youth Encounter). Some of the best friends I have today, including my husband, I met through this group. We have a WhatsApp chat where we share meditations, news, events and prayer requests. It’s an amazing group with 72 members that covers the old guard like me (Encuentro #22) and the new Encuentristas (they are currently at Encuentro #220). 

I also have the Belen Emmaus group. When my son Rafi was a 9th grader at Belen Jesuit, Father Willie Garcia-Tunon (currently the President of Belen), decided to bring Emmaus to Belen. He realized that a lot of the boys attending the school did not come from practicing Catholic homes. He knew that Jesus had to touch the parents’ hearts first, in order for the boys to practice at home the values they were being taught in the school. Therefore, he gathered a group of parents that had already attended an Emmaus retreat at their parishes, and we started offering those amazing weekend retreats to the parents. I was part of that original group, and I met some amazing ladies that are still to this day my sisters in Christ. We also have a prayer iMessage group. 

In 2009, my then parish, St. Louis, offered a summer Bible class on “Ephesians.” I had always wanted to take a Bible class, but they are usually 28-week courses which I didn’t think I would be able to accommodate during tax season. A summer 10-week course was perfect. I took it, and loved it. I was hooked. I knew I had to make it work in spite of tax season. I signed up for Genesis in September and I accommodated tax season around it, because when God wants you to be part of something, He will open the doors and multiply your time. I have taken every course offered since then. Not only have I learned a lot about my faith, but I have met a special group of ladies, mostly retired so my hubby has named this group “the Old Testament,” LOL. We pray, worship, study and go to lunch together. 

I’m also part of the Wednesday Prayer Group. I was invited to join this group a couple of years ago. I only went once because they meet pretty far from my house, and activities in the evening are harder for me to accommodate. But I’m still part of their WhatsApp group. Even though I’m not an active participant, I was not kicked out. And I join in their virtual prayer requests, read their meditations, and watch their videos. They are an amazing group of prayer warriors filled with the Holy Spirit. 

And last but not least, I have “Our Guiding Light.” This group started a year ago on a Lenten Journey. I sent the invitation out to all my groups, and also posted it on my Facebook and Instagram pages. Therefore, this group has a holy mix of members from all the other groups, plus some that were invited by those people, and some that accepted my FB or IG invitation. Many of us don’t know each other personally, but God brought us together in a very special way. We did an Advent journey together and the theme this year is “perseverance.” I have no doubt that with each other’s support and the guiding light of the Holy Family, we will persevere. 

The day before my surgery, I asked all these groups to pray for me. I then told my hubby that he had to send an update to all the groups, in addition to our family and friends. When I told him I had five different prayer groups, his response was, what you have is a prayer mafia. And he is right. I have a spiritual prayer mafia, which is a very good mob that we all need to have in our lives.

Thank you my prayer mafia for all the prayers. And thank you Lord, Mama Mary and Papa Joseph for staying with me every minute during the surgery, during the night when I couldn’t sleep because of the pain, and as I recover, I know that you will continue to stay with me. 

Padre Pío, pray for us 🙏

Copyright © 2025 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

25 Days with St. Joseph: From Nazareth to Bethlehem-Epilogue

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’” Matthew 2:1-2

Good evening Lord. 

It’s been twelve days since the birth of your Son. I have never felt such peace like the peace I felt on the night that He was born when it was just the three of us. The invisible had become visible. I did not have to believe in what I had not seen, all I had to do was look into His tiny face to believe. Nobody would have found out about His birth but the angels wanted the whole world to know. The shepherds have made sure to spread the news. 

Every single day, shepherds have visited the stable to adore the Child, but today, we received some unexpected visitors. The sun had already set, but our cave was full of light. A bright star had positioned itself directly above the cave, and its light filtered in through the holes on the roof. I had never seen such a bright star before.

I was contemplating the star, when I heard a big commotion outside. I thought it was the shepherds that had come to visit us again. I went to check what was happening, and I met three men who claimed to be Kings of the East. They were dressed with colorful clothing, and had come riding camels all the way from Persia to adore the Child.

I could not believe what I was seeing. I went inside to let Mary know, but the three Kings of the East followed me into the cave. I could tell that Mary was a bit scared because she grabbed the Baby and held Him in her arms.

At the sight of the Child, the three Kings prostrated themselves upon the earth, and in this position they worshiped and adored the Infant, acknowledging Him as the true God and man, and as the Saviour of the human race. Arising, they congratulated Mary, and they said that she was their Queen because she was the Mother of the Son of the eternal Father. They also congratulated me, extolling my good fortune in being chosen as the spouse of the Mother of God. 

They then approached Mary to reverence her on their knees. Mary told them that she did not deserve their reverence, that the only King in that cave was the Baby Boy, the Son of God. Therefore, they prostrated themselves anew, this time in front of the Baby, in profound humility. “They fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” (1) Gold because He is a King; frankincense, an allusion to His Divinity; and myrrh signifies that the Child has been born in order to die.

I realized that Your Son does not belong to Mary or to me, He belongs to the world. And not just to our people, the Israelites, since these Kings were not of Jewish descent. These Wise Men were the first Gentiles to receive the call to salvation.

After they worshipped the Infant Boy, they introduced themselves. The youngest is Caspar. He represents the dawn of innocence. Balthazar, with the maturity of middle age, represents the noontime of life. And the oldest, Melchior, represents the setting sun. They brought with them faith, hope and charity.

The Wise Men told us that they would stay in Bethlehem for a few days. By this time, they had attracted the attention of the shepherds and many others. They were led to town to find shelter, and once more, we were left alone to marvel at the strange company that our Baby Boy draws to Himself.

Reflection:

Adoring Jesus was the sole purpose of the Magi’s journey. What is my sole purpose during this New Year? Toward what goal in my life do I direct all my energy? May we persevere in achieving our purpose just like the Magi persevered in finding Jesus. 

References:

1. Matthew 2:11

Copyright © 2025 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

If I Dream It, I can Achieve it… Hopefully

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18

My resolution for this year is to persevere. But persevere in what? In order to persevere, I must first have a dream or a vision of what I want to accomplish. 

One of the most incredible abilities that God has given us is the ability to dream. I am definitely a dreamer. I am always dreaming of new projects. The project can be something like a trip that I want to take, a group that I want to join, a book that I want to write or a class that I want to sign up for.

In my dreamy mind, I can look into the future and see the project already completed. For example, I have been planning to do the “Camino de Santiago” (The Way of St. James) for several years now. I can see myself walking it and completing it. But in order to achieve it, there are a few steps that I must take. I must plan the route. I must choose the dates. I must train for it. And I must book the trip. I am yet to undertake the Camino, but I have been envisioning it for a very long time. And having a vision is one of the key elements to persevere. As a matter of fact, a person that does not have a clear vision of what they want to achieve will not be able to persevere.

One of the biggest enemies of perseverance is discouragement. When we allow discouragement to have the upper hand, then we have already failed. Joseph and Mary were definitely discouraged when they were not able to find lodging in Bethlehem. But they persevered, and they continued knocking on doors. They did not allow the obstacles to break them. Eventually, they encountered someone that pointed them toward the stable. It was not what they had originally imagined, but they bounced back and they made the best of their situation. They cleaned the stable, and prepared a place to bring their Son into the world.

What is your vision? Let that be your guiding light as you persevere through the obstacles that life places in your path. I am envisioning doing the Camino this year. I will take all the necessary steps, and persevere until I see the project through to the end. And if for whatever reason, I cannot make it this year, I will not allow discouragement to keep me from trying. There is always next year.

Copyright © 2025 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.