St. Gianna is one of my favorite saints. She reminds me to seek God in all things — to trust him and to live well — striving to make holy each moment.

If she were alive today, I could see us chatting over a cup of coffee about cute clothes, decorating ideas, discernment and the simple joys of life.

Saints, after all, are our friends, and I celebrate her feast day by talking with her about what’s on my heart over morning coffee.

Since she was a physician, I have often sought her intercession in health-related matters, all the more so during this pandemic, for health-care workers and the sick, as well as for loved ones’ health — and I have also sought her prayers for myself, that I would stay focused on living well now, no matter the “new normal.”

I think seven quotes of hers can help us keep good perspective at this time.

 

1. “Whatever God wants.” What is God calling you to in your stay-at-home life? From home schooling to working, what should be on your to-do list? How should you spend your downtime with those you are quarantined with? What about spending an afternoon baking? Or taking a walk, enjoying God’s creation. Or simply praying together.

2. “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that he, in his goodness, sends to us day after day.” There is good at this time, from blessed acts of kindness to more time with family and more time to pray. Seek it. Enjoy it.

3. “God’s Providence is in all things; it’s always present.” God is here. Maybe that is hard to see each minute amid the death toll and infection rates, but he is. He is with the sick, and he is here with us.

4. “One earns paradise with one’s daily task.” Daily life is what we can control. From making a good meal to stopping to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3pm, we can focus on the little things, which really are the big things.

5. “As to the past, let us entrust it to God’s mercy, the future to divine Providence. Our task is to live holy the present moment.” This is my life’s motto. I strive to remind myself to do so daily. No matter what pandemic, what deadline, what is calling for our attention, holiness is the goal, from how we interact with those God has put into our lives to what he is asking of us in work or life at home.

6. “We must be living witnesses of the beauty and grandeur of Christianity.” How are we encouraging people in faith these days? Maybe by sharing an uplifting post on social media or by creating Catholic sidewalk or window art? Maybe by calling someone who needs a word, or two, of hope? Maybe by sending someone an encouraging note — and including a holy card?

7. “Love is the most beautiful sentiment the Lord has put into the soul of men and women.” Love, indeed, must guide how we treat those in our households, and all we meet, virtual or not, especially at this time of stress and uncertainty.

 

St. Gianna, thank you for helping me stay grounded in faith today and always. Pray for us!

Read more about St. Gianna here: an interview with her daughter.