Some time ago, an old student of mine called for spiritual counsel. He’s been playing professional baseball since his graduation from high school and faces a tremendous amount of pressure in the big league. I recommended to him a morning prayer routine with Scripture, preferring the beginning of the day, because very little good happens in the night time.

The structure of the Catholic Church is more like a monarchy than a democracy. It’s more of a kingdom than a country. The language alone is a giveaway. We call Christ “Lord,” and the Blessed Mother “Our Lady.” Bishops are referred to as “Excellency,” and cardinals as “Princes of the Church.”

“And when you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” Those words Our Lord spoke to his disciples are certainly among his most unsettling. What could he have meant by them?

On one occasion last week, I woke up thinking about finances - those of the parish and my own as well. Then, in the chapel, the Spirit led me to a meditation on mercy, where I was given to see a relationship between the two.

It was born of remembering something Pope Francis said, which has stayed with me. He said, “Only mercy creates.” I continue to return to that for hope, because it reminds me that although there is much decline in this present age, there is also mercy.

While serving as high school chaplain, I tried all sorts of ways to get the attention of the students. Not seldom, unfortunately, I would try too hard while speaking to them.

As a young man, Pope John Paul II was introduced to Carmelite spirituality and a love affair began. He fell in love with the cross. He certainly knew his share of suffering, losing his sister, then mother, then brother, then his father, while coming of age in Nazi occupied Poland. But he learned to unite himself with Christ crucified, Who alone redeems suffering.

Resonating in my heart all week has been the thought of how much Our Lord truly desired to die for us on the cross, and that the real pain he suffered was the indifference of men. It wasn’t the hardness of the nails, but the hardness of man’s heart that hurt him.

In the Office of Readings this past week, Saint Paul used the expression “real widows” when writing to Timothy. “Honor the claims of those who are real widows.” He was speaking about people - in this case, women - whose needs are truly genuine.