Mother Angelica was a joy and inspiration – a gift to the United States and the world over. I was blessed to meet her, interviewing her early in my journalistic career. My father had just died and she just knew – I was assured no one told her. She spoke words of wisdom and comfort that had to be from the Holy Spirit. She taught me that in the Christian life, one cannot be merely transactional with human beings. Always ask the Trinity to use you, and every precious moment God grants us on this earth – even in, maybe especially in, suffering.

I was blessed and honored to be at her funeral Mass in Hanceville, at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament; the Eucharist was her reason for living. You could have been easily forgiven for thinking it was a humble parish Mass of Christian burial. Inside was a relatively small gathering of mostly people who knew and loved her. When I prayed at her earthly remains, I couldn’t help but thank God for her – and that her long-suffering pain was finally over and she was closer to her true home.

Kneeling and touching the cold hand of her body, I remembered her love and wisdom – and humor – and asked her to remember me and let Jesus know he is all I need and want, now and forever. That is, after all, her legacy.

Outside, it looked something like a papal visit, so beloved she was by so many. The road to the Shrine has long attracted Catholics settling in Protestant country, Alabama. And yet everyone was mourning Mother Angelica that day. Bible churches, even gas stations, and all the rest had signs of condolence and even offerings of bathrooms and water to the pilgrims.

Thanks be to God for the wonderful treasure of Mother Angelica. Canonizing her, of course, is above my pay grade, but she makes me want to be a saint – and gives me hope that even a woman in media might be able to go to heaven! She wanted all of us to love and serve our Lord in our wounded humanity, with his grace.

I continue to pray that she is at peace with Jesus, her true love, and that she may continue to inspire us — and intercede for us — to give glory to God in everything we do, always.

May she continue to inspire us to live our lives with our eyes on heaven, inviting others to do the same in ways subtle and boldly blatant – with courage!

Her legacy is an inspiration to all of us fallen, wounded, sinners that we, too, are meant for heaven.

Thanks be to God for Mother Angelica.