When I'm up before the early bird....

Well, it was one of those nights. I turned the light off around eleven, slept somewhat fitfully, and was wide awake at 4:30. So what does one do (after making coffee) when it's still pitch dark out and absolutely quiet? (Even the early bird is still in bed.) Here's my answer: Read morning prayer in my Magnificat, sit down with the unread stack of Wanderers, and then write a letter to my granddaughter.

The first article in The Wanderer that caught my eye was a reprint of Fr. John Hardon's commentary on the Real Presence. So many Catholics no longer believe and my granddaughter is working as the Admissions Director at a Catholic high school. She will have many opportunities to witness to her belief that Christ is really there in the school chapel simply by her reverence and frequent visits. 

So I was going to clip the article and mail it.

Then I read James Monti's article, The Divine Invitation. That one hit me like a lightening bolt, particularly this:

The Bible is one long history of divine invitations --- the burning bush seen by Moses, the voice heard by the young Samuel in the Temple, the word of the Lord coming to Jonah, the Annunciation of Our Lady, the star seen by the Magi, the calling of the Apostles, the parable about being invited to the wedding feast of the King's Son, the voice of the Good Shepherd... 

These words and events have not only summoned those to whom they were first addressed; they summon still, and will do so until the end of time.

How many "divine invitations" do I miss because I'm not listening or I don't recognize the voice -- like Samuel -- who needed an older, more experienced head to tell him the Lord was calling. I often echo Samuel when I'm at adoration praying, "Speak, Lord, your servant is listening." Silence and spiritual reading, including The Wanderer, help me to clean the world's noise out of my ears.

So I decided to clip another article for my granddaughter.

But as I went on to read the other excellent articles, I decided I would have to send the entire section and urge my granddaughter to reflect on them all. It's an invitation I hope she'll accept.

Oh...and I hope you will accept my invitation to subscribe to The Wanderer. You can try it for six months for only $45. (Don't miss my friend Dexter Duggan's articles.) It is worth every penny and more. And if you like your news on line, you can sign up for the e-edition. They offer three free on-line editions as a trial, and you can subscribe for a year for only $50. (Frankly, I like the paper in my hot little hands, so I subscribe to the print edition.)

Really, if you want your faith to grow, The Wanderer can help. Not only that, but if you order the print edition, you can clip great articles for your children and grandchildren and tuck them in your love letters.

Now, that's an invitation that's hard to refuse, isn't it?