All through the concert, I couldn’t stop smiling. Believe me, I tried! Standing in the choir, I felt like my ear-to-ear grin was out-of-place, but my face had a will of its own. My joy was just spilling out, and there was nothing I could do about it!
Why was I smiling like I’d won a million bucks? One hour before, I’d just come out of a truly life-changing youth retreat hosted by the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a fairly new religious order blossoming here in Miami and around the world. Now here I was, singing in a concert with the secular community choir I belonged to, and all through the event, I felt like I was floating in a hot air balloon.
Afterwards, my choir director approached me. “My dad was in the audience, and he wanted me to tell you that he was really moved by your smile!” she said, chuckling. “He couldn’t stop looking at the joy in your face!”
What had moved him was not me—that joy came from the Holy Spirit shining out. Mother Teresa once said, “Peace begins with a smile.” That day, I realized the truth of that statement. I also realized why St. John Paul II called us Christians “an Easter people.”
The reason for my joy: the Servants of the Pierced Hearts had opened my eyes to the great beauty of what it means to be human. During the retreat, they taught us that God made us “for love, out of love.” They made “saint cards” with polaroid pictures of us on the front, encouraging us to do great things with our lives and to ask God to help us live out His most epic dreams for us. On the last day of the retreat, they separated the boys and girls into two groups, explaining to the girls the God-given dignity and “power for good” we have as young women. Meanwhile, the boys learned about what it means to be godly men, and they even surprised us girls by serving a meal and handing us roses as a token of respect. As a teenage girl, this was absolutely incredible. It made me believe in my own dignity. And by the look on the boys’ faces, they were inspired by their capacity to bring joy to others.
My point in sharing this is that learning about your place in Salvation History opens you up to untold joy. When you realize how much you’re loved, and that your life has meaning and purpose, that peace is tangible even to others.
We learn about Salvation History through the Bible, understanding how God chose not to abandon us after Adam and Eve’s fall, but instead has been working throughout the course of history to save us through Jesus.
You and I are a part of Salvation History. Every single human being who lives and has ever lived plays a part, whether they like it or not—because every human being has the ability to bring others closer to or further from the Kingdom of God.
The good news is that God is the one piloting the ship. Even when we mess up, He brings good out of the bad. He has entrusted every one of us with a special mission, and He is the only one who can empower us to accomplish it.
So how do we rediscover our place in history? Here are just a few ways to reclaim the truth about who God meant us to be.
Reconnect to the Roots of our Faith
- Realizing the richness and history of our faith, and seeing how God has been working throughout history, is an awe-inspiring experience. Father Mike Schmitz’s podcast, The Bible in a Year, follows Jeff Cavins’ The Great Adventure Bible Timeline method of reading the Bible and has achieved astounding popularity. Father Mike hops around the books of the Bible, pairing Old Testament with New Testament readings to better follow the “storyline” of the Bible. When I listened to the podcast in 2020, it empowered me to read the whole Bible, gaining a new understanding of the “big picture.”
- Brant Pitre’s books, such as Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper and Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah, are accessible and fascinating explorations of the depth of our faith. Although Pitre is a scholar, I never feel like he’s over my head. He’s a down-to-earth writer with mind-blowing explanations of how the Old and New Testaments connect.
- Praying the Rosary is also a fantastic way to learn more about Salvation History and our place in it. Each mystery of the Rosary focuses on a specific part of the New Testament, such as the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, allowing us to reflect on what we can apply to our daily lives. More than that, did you know that the Rosary can teach you a lot about the Old Testament? In The Rosary in a Year podcast, Father Mark-Mary Ames, CFR, does an excellent job showing the incredible depths of the mysteries and the prayers of the Rosary.
- Lastly, a great way to reconnect with the roots of our faith is to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Actually setting foot in the sites where the events of the Bible took place allows you to connect with these events like never before.
Rediscover Mass and the Eucharist
- Ask your parish priest to celebrate a Teaching Mass. According to the Catechism, the Eucharist is “the source and summit of the Christian Life,” giving meaning to the joys and sorrows of our human experience. A Teaching Mass is a special type of Mass where the priest provides explanations about the why behind its various parts and prayers. A lot of times, we go on auto-pilot while sitting in the pews, and a Teaching Mass is a great way to gain a new appreciation for the miracle happening in front of us. It’s truly astonishing to find out that every part of the Mass is there for good reason, and the prayers have fascinating origins in both the New and Old Testaments.
- Go to Easter Vigil Mass at least once in your life. Although long, this is one of my favorite Masses in the whole liturgical year. During its celebration, 5-9 readings are proclaimed, starting with Genesis and arriving at the New Testament. As John Grondelski of National Catholic Register explains, “These readings all prefigure aspects of the Resurrection.” During the Old Testament readings, the Paschal Candle is the only source of light. Grondelski states, “As my professor, Jesuit Father John Baldovin, once put it, we read those Old Testament texts in the light of the Paschal Candle, i.e., in the light of Christ.” When the New Testament readings begin, the church is flooded with light, signifying the arrival of Christ and the Resurrection! This Mass basically gives you a crash course in Salvation History, dramatically revealing Christ’s Resurrection as humanity’s hope.
- Go to Eucharistic Adoration. As the Savior of humanity, Christ in the Eucharist is the hope we seek. We have the opportunity, while still on earth, to sit with God Himself—why don’t we take more advantage of this incredible miracle? Jesus is the One who helps us make sense of our lives and communicates His plan of salvation to us. I know a young man who credits his vocation to going to Adoration frequently—it was the place where he discovered the biggest adventure of his life. He is just one example out of many!
Experience Salvation History through Media
- To be inspired to live out your faith, check out A.D., a 1985 mini-series based on the Acts of the Apostles. This action-packed, emotional, never-preachy depiction of the courage and suffering of the earliest Christians is a must-see. Please be advised that the show includes mature content.
- For a kid-friendly introduction to Salvation History, Marigold Hunt’s St. Patrick’s Summer: A Children’s Adventure Catechism is a charming and exciting choice (for children and adults alike!). The illustrated edition, published by Sophia Institute Press in 2006, was one of my favorite books as a kid. It’s a blast, joining students Cecilia and Michael as they are taken on a whirlwind tour of history, meeting inspiring personalities from Eve to St. Patrick himself. All in all, it’s a reminder of the continuity of Sacred History and that we are called to make our own marks.
Our human story is a journey of discovery and communication with God. He wants us to live with intention the life we were meant to live, collaborating with Him to bring about salvation to ourselves—and every person our lives touch.
Photo by Dmitry Tomashek on Unsplash
