By Kate Anderson

 

And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued to be subject to them;
and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. ~Luke 2:40-52

“As well as can be expected, given present circumstances,” was the most exuberant answer my old high school beau could rouse up when asked how he was doing (blessed fellow). I have to say; the phrase has crossed my mind and lips fairly often of late.

My 24th birthday was ripe with promise. Weeks later—the trajectory of my life changed in unthinkable ways. Chaos and indescribable uncertainty ran deep. But the Lord ran deeper.

True to His name, God prevailed. My namesake, Catherine of Siena, couldn’t have said it any better, “He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the Cross, and you will find yourself entirely.”
Indeed. God’s way and means have looked quite ordinary: Prayer. Family Life. Work. But the beautiful moments of this “Hidden Life” have been my saving grace.

Frosty apartment windows on winter morns. Sheet pan veggies roasting in the oven. Sticky counters wiped for the 1,437th time. Feast days to celebrate. Anne of Green Gables read-alouds at night. Casseroles delivered to dear friends welcoming their first little one into the world. Morning Offerings and noontime Angeluses. Fishing with Dad. Summertime thunderstorms. Slumber parties with the siblings. High Masses and Low Masses. Candles burning bright. A thousand stolen moments with the Lord.

And always love. Love to be given. To be shared. Love without end.
These—to me—are the perfection of a Hidden Life. Not without its sufferings. But embracing the joys, glories, and sorrows of this abundance.

None of this—as well as can be expected—business. There’s enough abundance for our hearts to sing, “It is well,” no matter our present circumstances.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, please help me to embrace the abundance of my holy and hidden life!

Call to Action

Take a hard fast from complaining. Speak only what is good, true, and beautiful. Pray for the grace to see what mercies the Lord can bring even from challenges. All things are working for His good and glory!

 

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