Modeling the Gospel way

There is a saying attributed to Saint Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel; if necessary, use words.”

Growing up, the example my parents set for me of faith and their personal relationships with God planted a seed within me. I really don’t remember either of them “preaching,” they just lived out their faith in their ordinary daily lives. I know that I was observing even when I was too small to understand it all.

When I would ride along with my mom on errands, sometimes she would pull into the church parking lot so we could go inside to “make a little visit,” as she called it. We were never there long, but I have vivid memories of spending a few minutes in the quiet church with my mom and kneeling with her as we prayed. Of course, prayer can be lifted up anywhere, but those “little visits” are a special memory of her.