Ending the Third Chapter with No Regrets

“Forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead, I continue my pursuit toward the goal.” Phil 3:13-14

Three days after my youngest child was born, I found out that the bank I worked for had been sold. The bank that purchased it offered me a job, but I had to relocate to North Carolina where they had the headquarters. I was not willing to do that since I had three small children and all my family was in Miami. Therefore, I decided to venture out on my own. That was almost thirty years ago. 

This week, I closed my accounting office. It’s the end of what I consider the third major chapter of my life. The first one was my childhood and teenage years. During that chapter, I was a student. The second chapter was the start of my marriage, the early years of motherhood, and the beginning of my career. In the third chapter, I saw my kids fly from the nest to become independent adults. During this chapter, my accounting practice also grew tremendously. Now, I’m ready to start the fourth and final chapter, which I hope brings lots of time to spend with my husband traveling while visiting our kids and grandkids who are spread out between North Carolina and New York. I also hope it opens the door to do something worthwhile with whatever time I have left here on earth. 

Last year, I read a book titled “The Fourth Quarter of your Life: Embracing What Matters Most” by Allen Hunt and Matthew Kelly. It made me stop and reflect. How do I want to spend the final chapter of my life? Do I want to spend it accumulating more or do I want to spend it enjoying what I have already accumulated? The answer was easy, but turning the page has been more difficult than I anticipated. It was almost like the evil one wanted to keep me from retiring.

What began thirty years ago with just one client, has grown exponentially. Last year, I prepared over 600 tax returns. I had a solid practice, and I decided to sell it. And that’s when the fun began. Every unimaginable obstacle got on my way, and everything that I had planned crumbled. But God always has a better plan. When all the doors closed in my face, He opened a wider and much better door.

It’s been bittersweet saying goodbye to clients that have been with me for three decades. Many times, I was more than their accountant. They would come to my office, drink a cafecito, and we would talk about more than numbers. Sometimes, I felt like I was their psychiatrist because they would spill all their troubles. And I was happy to lend an ear, even if I couldn’t resolve all their issues. 

I thought I would be fully finished by now, but God wanted me to savor the end of the third chapter just a little bit longer. And that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m starting the fourth one, but I’m not jumping from one to the next. I’m waltzing slowly into the last chapter, while still savoring the final pages of the previous one. And I have no regrets.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

Remember Who You Are

“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17

I love the movie “The Lion King.” It has so many great lessons. One of those lessons is when Mufasa, the father lion king, tells his son Simba, “remember who you are.”

On Saturday, I was blessed to attend the priesthood ordination of Father Michael Martinez, and on Sunday, I attended his first mass. Father Mike is two years younger than Rafi, my oldest. But they used to hang around with the same group of friends, and thus, I got to know him a little bit during the Belen years. It’s pretty amazing to see him now as a priest. And even more amazing, to hear him talk. His first homily left me speechless. 

His first mass coincided with the feast of Corpus Christi. How appropriate to celebrate this feast on his first Eucharistic miracle. Yes, a miracle. Every time that bread and wine is transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ, a miracle takes place. And Father Mike got to perform his first miracle on Sunday.

Even though I’m what is known as a “cradle Catholic,” it was not until recently that I began to take the Eucharist seriously. Yes, I believed in the Real Presence, but I took it for granted. I never stopped to think about the Miracle that takes place in every altar around the world at the moment of Consecration. My eyes were opened when I attended an exhibit about all the Eucharistic Miracles that have taken place through the centuries. The exhibition was put together by soon to be Saint Carlo Acutis. Reading about those 107 miracles made me realize that I was not seriously paying attention to the Miracle that I was witnessing every Sunday. Carlo Acutis included 107 miracles in his exhibition, but the Vatican has approved more than 150 such cases.

Father Mike talked during his homily about another miracle that takes place when we receive the Eucharist. Not only are we receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, we actually become the Body and Blood of Christ. I had never thought of it this way. But it makes sense. Just like Mary carried Christ in Her Body, when we receive the Eucharist, we are carrying Christ in our body. And we are called to take Him out of the Church and share Him with the world.

Father Mike has been serving at a church in Cuba, and he will be returning there now as a priest. His ordination was streamed live to that church in Cuba. Thankfully, there were no electricity outages, something very common in Cuba, so the people were able to watch the entire mass. Not only watch it, they participated. And when the Eucharist was being consecrated in Miami, the Miracle was also taking place in Cuba. This is another aspect of the Eucharist that Father Mike emphasized in his first homily. The Eucharist unites us with the entire world because we are one body. The miracle takes place in every altar around the entire world when a mass is celebrated.

Father Mike’s parents gave him a special gift for his ordination: a chalice and a paten. He used them for the very first time at his first mass: the paten to turn the bread into the Body of Christ and the chalice to turn the wine into His Blood. The paten was engraved with the following verse picked by his mother: “Do whatever He tells you,” John 2:5. This is what Mama Mary tells the servants at the Wedding Feast of Cana. And this is what Father Mike’s mom is telling him on his ordination day: “Do whatever He tells you.” She knows that the way to the Heart of Christ is through obedience, thus she’s telling Father Mike, to listen to God’s voice and obey Him. We can learn from this too. These words are like a bright beacon pointing the way to our happiness. Surrendering our lives to God is the only way to true happiness. During the ordination, Father Mike prostrated himself on the floor with his arms wide open, like a cross. This was a sign of surrender. He is giving all of himself to God, and through this surrender, he will find true happiness.

His father engraved the chalice with the following verse: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17. When I heard this, I got goosebumps because I knew there was a double meaning to this message. One meaning was coming directly from God who is very pleased with his son Mike who has just given his life to the service of the Church and for the greater glory of God. But I also knew that the message was also coming directly from the father’s heart. Father Mike’s biological father passed away when Mike was five-years-old. His mom remarried when Mike was a teenager. Since I also had a step-father, those words touched my heart. It is one thing to be loved by your own father, but to feel that love from a step-father is pretty special. And to witness that special bond between Mike and his step-father made me take out my tissues. 

At the end of the mass, Father Mike gave a gift to his parents. He gave his father the stole that he used when he performed his first confession. At that point, he spoke about the fact that he has two fathers, one in heaven and one on earth. When he presented the stole to his earthly father, and they hugged, there was not a dry eye in that church. And to his mother, he gave the handkerchief that was used to clean the chrism oil from his hands. The idea is that the day she dies, she will be buried with that handkerchief so that when she gets to heaven, she will present it to God and tell Him, “God, I gave you my greatest treasure, my son.” Tissues once again.

Father Mike wrote a beautiful poem that encompasses what we are called to do as Christians.

Just like the Lion King, this weekend made me “remember who I am.” It helped me to remember and be proud of my Catholic roots. Yes, I am proud to be part of a Church that can be traced back all the way to Jesus Christ, because He established it when He gave the keys to Peter. And I am so thankful that Jesus has stayed with us in the Eucharist. Thank You, Jesus, for the gift of the Eucharist. Thank You for allowing us to witness the miracle of seeing a simple piece of bread turn into your Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity during every mass.

Jesus, please keep Father Mike safe as he returns to Cuba to bring your Word and the Eucharist to a country that is so hungry, not just for food, but for You. We thank You for calling him to shepherd your flock, and we pray for him and his vocation. Our young people need more priests like Father Mike, priests that are so in love with You that they are willing to sacrifice their entire lives in order to follow You. Father Mike, go set the world on fire, and always remember to keep your hands open. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

I plan, God laughs

 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21

My plan for this Memorial Day long weekend: New York. God’s plan: Miami. I was supposed to be in New York enjoying my grandsons. But on Thursday morning, God sent my plans flying out the window. And I’m grateful.

We reserved flights to go to New York on Thursday morning at 9 am. Unfortunately, my hubby failed to check his calendar. He had his yearly cardiologist checkup for the same morning at 7:30 am. He tried to change the appointment, but nothing was available until December. My hubby has a heart condition that requires him to be monitored by the cardiologist annually, therefore he decided, with good reason, that waiting until December was not a good option. Therefore, we changed the flight until noon, even though it cost us substantially more than the original flight.

He left for his doctor’s appointment while I finished packing. As I was heading out to the bakery, to purchase the obligatory “pastelitos and croquetas” that we must always take with us to New York, my hubby called me: “The doctor wants me to cancel our trip and head instead to the Emergency Room.” My hubby has the “bad” habit to always pull my leg, therefore, I didn’t believe him. I thought this was his typical “I’m going to get you” and then when I panic, “Got you… Just kidding,” typical joke. Unfortunately, this time, he was serious.

The electrocardiogram showed that he had a complete “blockage.” I thought it was his arteries, but apparently, they use the same term for an electrical heart blockage. In his case, it was severe: third degree. “Electrical signals do not go from your atria to your ventricles at all with this type. There is a complete failure of electrical conduction. This can result in no pulse or a very slow pulse if a back up heart rate is present” John Hopkins Medicine.

Instead of heading to the bakery, I drove to the doctor’s office to pick him up. They would not even allow him to drive for fear that he would faint. The strange thing is that he was completely asymptomatic. 

At this point, the “twilight zone” experience began. We arrived to the emergency room, where he was taken to a room immediately. They ran labs and a chest X-ray. Shortly thereafter, a doctor came. He took a look at his EKG and the monitor, and all he would say is “Interesting… the heart doesn’t seem to be acting as bad as the EKG shows.” They repeated the EKG, and it showed the same abnormalities, thus, he was transferred to ICU. At this point, they were talking about putting a pacemaker on his heart. The procedure was scheduled for the following morning.

No more than thirty minutes passed after we arrived at ICU, when his room was filled with doctors. The main doctor looked so young that he reminded me of Doogie Howser. But once he opened his mouth, I knew who was in charge. He said that he didn’t think that my hubby needed a pacemaker after all because he was asymptomatic. He was currently taking a heart med to lower his heart rate. According to the doctor, reducing the dosage to half would suffice for now. They ordered more tests, but all of them could be done outpatient. Therefore, he was free to go home. I was like: “What in the world is going on?” It took longer to discharge him from ICU than it took to actually be in ICU.

I still don’t understand what transpired to keep us from going to New York, but obviously, God didn’t want us to go. Would it have been dangerous for my hubby to travel this weekend? Possibly. And if that’s the case, then I’m forever grateful that God held us back. But I have a feeling that we will never know, at least not on this side of heaven, the real reason why He wanted to keep us in Miami this weekend. I will add it to my list of questions to ask when I arrive to Heaven (if I make it).

In the meantime, I’m at the beach, next to my hubby, who is still feeling perfectly fine, and enjoying a very hot Miami day. I spoke to my 2-year-old grandson a little while ago. He told me about his morning at the zoo. Would I have liked to be there with him? Definitely. But I trust God completely that this is where He needed me to be. And I thank Him for always looking out for us, even if I don’t fully understand His plans.

Copyright © 2024 Christy Romero. All rights reserved.

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.