Happy Chance Encounters
God sometimes plants a chance encounter along the path of our life that amazes us and makes a big difference.
Encounter in Hawaii
Every day I post a cartoon on Facebook (except now during Lent). This has become a ministry for me. Many people tell me they enjoy reading the cartoons and ask where I find them. Here is the story.
In 2004 (that’s 22 years ago!) my sister and I were in Hawaii. On the first day of our vacation, in the parking lot of a bread and breakfast we met a couple from California, Alan and Linda. They befriended us and escorted us to the nearby town where we had a picnic. Ever since then, Alan has emailed me seven cartoons every day! I choose the best to post on Facebook.
Encounter in Washington D.C.
Several other times I’ve had surprising encounters. One of my favorites was meeting a grade school classmate on the top of the Washington Monument. After graduating from the sixth grade, we lost touch when I entered the convent. Then, years later while in my black habit, I was touring Washington with my family. A woman approached me and asked, “Are you Kathy Glavich from Cleveland?” Since then my friend and I get together each summer for lunch.
Funny Statements from Alan
Today Alan sent a list of funny sayings instead of a cartoon. I’m sharing them with you, hoping they will make you smile.
Set 1
Still trying to get my head around the fact that ‘Take Out’ can mean food, dating, or murder.
Dear paranoid people who check behind their shower curtains for murderers: If you do find one, what’s your plan?
The older I get, the more I understand why roosters scream to start their day.
Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the ‘cool table’ in the cafeteria of a mental hospital. You know you’re over 50 when you have ‘upstairs ibuprofen’ and ‘downstairs ibuprofen.”
How did doctors come to the conclusion that exercise prolongs life, when…the rabbit is always jumping but only lives for around two years, and…the turtle that doesn’t exercise at all lives over 200 years. So, rest, chill, eat, drink, and enjoy life!
I too was once a male trapped in a female body…but then my mother gave birth.
If only vegetables smelled as good as bacon.
When I lost the fingers on my right hand in a freak accident, I asked the doctor if I would still be able to write with it. He said, “Possibly, but I wouldn’t count on it.”
Set 2
I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise. But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope.
Anyone who says their wedding was the best day of their life has clearly never had two candy bars fall down at once from a vending machine.
We live in a time where intelligent people are silenced so that stupid people won’t be offended.
The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren’t a robot.
When a kid says “Daddy, I want mommy” that’s the kid version of “I’d like to speak to your supervisor.”
It’s weird being the same age as old people.
Just once, I want a username and password prompt to respond “CLOSE ENOUGH.”
Last night the internet stopped working so I spent a few hours with my family. They seem like good people.
If Adam and Eve were Cajuns they would have eaten the snake instead of the apple and saved us all a lot of trouble.
Set 3
We celebrated last night with a couple of adult beverages …… Metamucil and Ensure.
You know you are getting old when friends with benefits means knowing someone who can drive at night.
Weight loss goal: To be able to clip my toenails and breathe at the same time.
After watching how some people wore their masks, I understand why contraception fails.
Some of my friends exercise every day. Meanwhile I am watching a show I don’t like because the remote fell on the floor.
For those of you that don’t want Alexa or Siri listening in on your conversation, they are making a male version; it doesn’t listen to anything.
I just got a present labeled, ‘From Mom and Dad,’ and I know darn well that Dad has no idea what’s inside.
Now that Covid has everyone washing their hands correctly…next week…Turn Signals.
The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The realist adjusts his sails.
There’s a fine line between a numerator and a denominator. Only a fraction of people will find this funny.
Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.
I have many hidden talents. I just wish I could remember where I hid them.
My idea of a Super Bowl is a toilet that cleans itself.
Exercise helps you with decision-making. It’s true. I went for a run this morning and decided I’m never going again.
Certainly you have experienced chance encounters that surprised you. Maybe meeting your future spouse? Tell us about it.
Do you remember this movie?
Black Saints, Present and Upcoming
February is Black history month. In its honor, I present a few Black Saints and those on the way to canonization.
The Process of Canonization
Usually five years after a person’s death, someone petitions a bishop to open a cause for canonization. After approval,the proposed person is called Servant of God.
An appointed person gathers evidence that the person lived a life of heroic virtue. If Rome approves the report, it declares the person Venerable.
Once a miracle due to the person’s intercession is approved, the pope declares them Blessed.
After a second miracle, the person is officially canonized, declared Saint.
Black Saints
Saint Charles Lwanga and Saint Kizito: They are among 22 Ugandan martyrs. Saint Charles catechized other young men and defended them against the homosexual demands of the king.
St. Josephine Bakhita: At the age of seven, she was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Sudan. Her owner brought her to Italy where she joined the Catholic Church. When her owners decided to take her back to Sudan, she refused. Because slavery was illegal in Italy, a court freed her. Eventually she joined a religious community.
Saint Martin de Porres: He is my favorite Black saint. I was going to write a brief bio here, but then discovered I had already written one. See https://kathleenglavich.org/saint-for-black-history-month-st-martin-de-porres/
Six on the Way to Sainthood
I encourage you to click on the links that take you to more comprehensive biographies.
Arguably the most well-known Black person on the path to canonization, at least in the United States, is Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman (1937–1990). She was the first African American woman to address the US Bishop’s conference. You might have seen her leading the bishop in holding hands and singing “We Shall Overcome.” Her lively programs were aimed to break down racist and cultural barriers.
Servant of God Julia Greeley (1833-1918) was born into slavery in Missouri. After gaining freedom in 1863, she moved to Denver. There she celebrated baptism and promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart. She ministered to the poor, often giving away the little she had. This won her the title “angel of charity.” Finally, she became a member of the Secular Franciscan Order.
Venerable Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897) Augustus was born a slave in 1854 in Missouri. His family escaped in 1863 and moved to Illinois where he garnered honors in college. Because seminaries in the United States would not accept him, he was ordained in Rome and offered his first Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Back in the United States, he was known as the first African-American priest. He served in Chicago, ministering to Black Catholics.
Venerable Mother Mary Lange (1789-1882) Mother Mary Lange was born in Haiti. During the revolution there, the family moved to Cuba. Mother Mary relocated to Baltimore and in 1829 founded the Oblate Sisters of Providence for African-American women. They ministered to Black youth.
Venerable Pierre Toussaint (1766-1853) Enslaved in Haiti, Pierre was brought to New York City where he was a famous hairdresser. After his enslaver died, he was free. He cared for orphans, immigrants, and the sick during cholera. A philanthropist, he raised funds to build St. Patrick’s Cathedral and St. Vincent de Paul Church.
A Special Treat
For a deeply moving and inspiring talk, watch Sister Thea Bowman’s address to the bishops:
If you have attended Mass at a Black Catholic Church, what was your impression?
Which Black saint or saint-in-waiting would you like to know more about?
Visit to Guatemala
My nephew Andy invited me to visit him in Guatemala so a member of his family could meet his girlfriend, who isn’t able to enter the USA. Last week he treated me to a vacation jam-packed with activities that left me exhausted but full of wonderful memories. Seeing this country firsthand was an eyeopener. I was surprised how modern certain features were, like the airport and a huge mall. Andy lives in a gated community where security guards patrol day and night.
I invite you on a tour via this blog post.
Guatemala
This mountainous Central American country lies below Mexico and between the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. It has become so populous that “flyover” highways have been built to accommodate the traffic.
Guatemala’s blue skies and temperatures in the 70s were a pleasant respite from Chardon’s mounds of snow and freezing days.
Spain brought Catholicism to the county in the early 16th century, so it became the predominant religion. But now Evangelical and Pentecostal religions have overtaken it as a result of their vigorous missionary activity. Still there are many Catholic churches, some in ruins.
My seat partner on the flight home was a woman eye doctor, one of the several from the USA who spent eight days treating the Mayan people.
Natural Disasters
Volcanoes
Volcan del Fuego emits plumes of smoke every fifteen minutes. In 2018, it erupted without warning, resulting in many deaths. My nephew lives four miles from this Volcano of Fire. Next to it is Volcan de Agua, named for the water at the top of the cone.
Other Threats
Guatemala is also subject to earthquakes and hurricanes.
Andy laughed at me because it wasn’t the volcano or earthquakes that frightened me, but the cobblestone roads and sidewalks. It was so difficult for me to walk on these that Andy usually held my hand for support. I felt like a little child.
Traffic
The streets were narrow and filled with vehicles. Driving was like playing Dodgem at the Euclid Beach amusement park. Motorcycles wove in between car lanes. People were polite, waving or honking when allowed to go first at an intersection. Riding over the bumpy cobblestone roads, I was surprised the cars didn’t fall apart!
A common vehicle was a tuk tuk, a square taxi that seemed to have no springs. I had to hold on for dear life. Usually we took an Uber.
Houses and stores were side by side and flush with the sidewalks. There were no lawns between them and the street.
Central Park
My first stop was Central Park in Antigua (Old Guatemala). There dozens of vendors lined the paths or sold their wares under a row of tents.
Churches
Across from Central Park is the Church of San Jose where I attended a Spanish Mass. People didn’t use hymnals but sang the hymns from their hearts.
Later we visited the Church of San Francisco, which was like a Roman basilica. There a crew of people were arranging manikins of saints that would be carried in Lenten processions. Saint Hermano Pedro’s tomb is there, which will be open to the public for the first time next month, March.
The yellow La Merced Church is 802 years old and has an earthquake-resistant design. I saw it frequently but didn’t go in it. Next to it are ruins.
Food
Fruit was abundant, some unfamiliar. At a café, I had carrot cake, my favorite. At Andy’s house I dined on coconut milk, pineapple, guacamole, tortillas, and pepian, which is a thick beef and rice stew. We dined at various restaurants.
We visited a store that was like Target as well as an enormous market, where Andy was charged double for pineapples because he is a foreigner. For one that usually cost 32 cents, he paid 65 cents.
Santo Domingo was a humongous old convent with thick stone walls that was repurposed as a restaurant.
Twice I had Rosa de Jamaica, a purplish, nonalcoholic drink made from dried hibiscus flowers.
We passed coffee fields and macadamia nuts spread out to dry. Chocolate is another Guatemalan specialty.
El Tenedor del Cerro (the Fork) was a restaurant and art museum at the top of a mountain. A very long cobblestone road led up to it. I managed to climb about fourth way before Andy hailed a hotel van to save me from having a heart attack. Going down the steep path was another challenge until an Uber rescued me.
On my last day, we ate breakfast at a luxury hotel’s buffet. Food such as omelets was prepared along the wall, but stations were positioned throughout the long room: juices, cereals, bakery, oatmeal, waffles, Mediterranean food.
Entertainment
On the day I arrived, we went to a soccer game between Antigua and Mixco. Fans from opposing teams do not attend in order to prevent brawls. On the bleachers we sat on small, green bucket seats. Three times six men with a stretcher had to carry a player off the field.
Posada de Don Rodrigo restaurant offered live Marimba music with dancers in costumes performing the Baile de los Moros, a folk dance. As I ate, one of the dancers wearing a bull mask offered me a maraca, an invitation to dance with him. After I did, other guests got up and danced.
At Las Palmas restaurant, Andy and I took a salsa lesson from a wiry, energetic teacher. I could not master the crossover step.
Friends
We visited a beautiful bread and breakfast where Andy had stayed while learning Spanish. It is owned and run by Cony, a woman in her nineties. She served us breakfast. The cost is $40 a night and includes breakfast.
We also visited a lively Franciscan Sister that Andy had met. She and her sisters run a home for the elderly. They need funds to hire a man for one year. Any donors?
Cerro de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross)
At the top of another hill, a large cross overlooks the city of Antigua. Fortunately, we took an Uber most of the way up and down the cobblestone path. A statue of a quetzal, a colorful bird with long tail feathers, is a prop for photos. This bird is prominent in mythology and associate with the Aztec deity Quetzalcoati. It is Guatemala’s national bird and the name of its currency. As we left the site, soldiers lined the stairs, presumably to discourage robbers.
Safety
Although people warned me that Guatemala was a dangerous country, I was never afraid. The scariest part of my vacation was finding my way around Chicago O’Hare airport! By the way, if you travel soon, make sure you learn the latest TSA regulations.
What in Guatemala would you be interested in seeing?
Did anything about my trip surprise you?
Pier Giorgio Frassati, A New Young Saint
Pier Giorgio is the subject of a book I just read. I’m glad I did because I hadn’t been acquainted with this young man. What an appealing model for young people today!
He was born in Turin, Italy, on April 6, 1901. Pier’s mother was a painter and practiced the minimum of faith. His father, an agnostic, founded a newspaper and worked for the government. Pier died from polio on July 4, 1925 at the age of twenty-four. It’s surmised that he contracted with disease from sick people he had tended.
Faith and Good Works
As a youth, Pier already had a deep spiritual life and wasn’t shy about it. He loved the Eucharist and Mary. At a time when daily Communion was rare, he had permission to receive it. He was a member of the Marian Sodality and the Apostleship of Prayer. He became a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. Eager to share his faith, Pier enticed his friends to attend Mass, read the Bible, and pray the Rosary.
Love for the Poor
Even as a child, Pier manifested love for the poor. When a woman came to the Frassati house begging accompanied by a shoeless child, Pier removed his shoes and gave them to the boy.
When Pier was seventeen, he joined the St. Vincent de Paul Society and ministered to the sick and needy, orphans, and servicemen returning from World War I.
With a large heart for the poor, he gave his bus fare to charity and ran home. At his graduation, his father offered him a car or money. Pier chose the funds so he could distribute them to the poor. He gave up vacations at his family summer home, saying, “If everybody leaves Turin, who will take care of the poor?”
A Man of Action
Intending to be a mining engineer, he attended the Royal Polytechnic University of Turin. As a student, he joined Catholic Action and the People’s Party, which promoted the Church’s social teaching.
He helped organize a convention of Pax Romana, whose goal was uniting Catholic students worldwide to work for peace. Defending the faith, he was involved in fights with Communists and Fascists, once joining a demonstration in Rome against police violence. He said, “Charity is not enough; we need social reform.”
A Normal Young Man
Pier was athletic. He was a good swimmer and an avid mountain climber. His motto was “To the Heights.” He loved music and art and enjoyed going to the theater, operas, and museums. He struggled in school especially with Latin, played pranks, and horsed around with his friends.
Once Pier was attracted to a girl, but he gathered his parents would not approve of her. So he never pursued a relationship with her.
Pier’s disease manifested itself on June 30 while he was boating. The next day he was very ill. On that same day his grandmother died, so Pier refused to call attention to himself. Three days later he died. Before dying, with a paralyzed hand he wrote a message asking a friend to give his medicine to a poor man he had visited. At his funeral thousands of people lined the streets.
St. Pope John Paul II called Pier the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes.” Pope Leo XIV canonized him five months ago, on September 7, 2025. You might wish to read more about him. The Frassati Field Guide: An 8-Day Ascent to Heroic Virtue by Bobby Angel (Ave Maria Press) is a retreat to “seek the heights.” Several videos about him are on YouTube. Here is one of them: https://youtu.be/Qn33GQbMeno?si=jSyH5Zfh0CWOeDUX.
Words of Saint Pier
Jesus is with me. I have nothing to fear.
The secret of happiness is to be grateful for what you have.
Let us be convinced that we can change the world.
True friendship is a gift from God.
Seize the opportunity to share your faith in a world that desperately needs it.
The end for which we are created invites us to walk a road that is surely sown with a lot of thorns, but it is not sad; through even the sorrow, it is illuminated by joy.
I urge you young people to approach the Communion table as often as you can. Fee on this bread of angels whence you will draw all the energy you need to fight inner battles.
The foundation of our faith is charity. Without it our religion would crumble.
God gives us health so that we may serve the sick.
What about Pier’s life do you find inspiring?
Which of his quotations are meaningful for you?
In honor of Saint Pier’s passion and motto, here is one of my favorite songs:
Silence Is Precious
Silence is easy to come by for me lately—now that Ohio is wrapped in a thick blanket of snow. The other day I sat mesmerized, watching the large, lacy flakes dance their way down from the sky.
Silence, God’s First Language
God speaks in silence. Remember how the prophet Elijah waited for the Lord to pass by as he had promised. Strong wind split rocks, followed by an earthquake and fire. But God wasn’t in any of these loud things. He spoke in sheer silence.
God still speaks in silence. Pope St. John Paul II stated,“ Actually, it is only in silence that human beings can hear in their inmost being the voice of God which truly sets them free.”
When we sink into silence, we come face to face with God. To be still we must cease our frantic pace, put away the cell phone, turn off the TV, quiet our bodies, curb our racing minds, and close our mouths. Only then can we be attuned to the voice of God speaking from the eternal silence. St. Teresa of Calcutta offered another motivation for silence: “The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life.”
Advantages of Silence
Mother Teresa also noted: “God is the friend of silence. . . . See how nature, the trees, the flowers, the grasses grow in perfect silence—see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence.” When we are silent, we can glimpse deer, catch fish, read a book, and work out a problem.
You probably have memories that bear out the truth of the saying “silence is golden.” Maybe you remember walking into the peace of your own home after a noisy party, or taking a stroll before anyone else was awake, or gazing at a baby fast asleep. Such times are valuable because they draw us more deeply into reality. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity said, “There is nothing so great as silence. It shuts out the external world to open up the interior world.”
Daily Cacophany
Usually the world packs our minds with a million noises: music, chatter, commercials, traffic sounds, crowds. Sheltered from these distractions, we are free to concentrate on essentials.
In silence we find truth, goodness, and beauty. We discover who we are. Silence is the air that our spirit must breathe if our spiritual life is to thrive. St. John of the Cross taught, “The language that he [God] best hears is the silent language of love.” When you pray, go to a peaceful place, quiet your mind, and still your body. No need to speak directly to God—to adore and thank him or voice petitions. Just be still and listen.
Jesus Sought Silence
Jesus, our model, valued silence. He prepared for his public life by a 40-day private retreat in the wilderness. Before choosing his apostles, “He departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). He often rose before dawn or drew apart from the hubbub of the crowds to commune with God alone: to celebrate their bond of love, and to center his life and his work on God’s will.
Jesus recommended praying in solitude to his followers: “But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret”(Matthew 6:6).
Silence as a Pathway to God
We believe that the Trinity lives within us. Quiet solitude enables us to attend to God. We can adore the Almighty in the depths of our being, delight in his loving presence, and strengthen our love for him. Refreshed and encouraged by loving encounters with God, we can better meet life’s challenges.
People who seek God have always reserved silent spaces in their lives. St. Thomas More, who was Chancellor of English in the sixteenth century, prayed every morning from two to six-o’clock! For centuries men and women religious have practiced silence. (Originally we Notre Dames observed Silencium Rigorosum, strict silence at night.) Serious Christians participate in days of recollection, retreats, and renewals in which silence usually plays a major role. During liturgical celebrations “at the proper times all should observe a reverent silence.”
The Incarnation
In the Christmas liturgy we hear “When peaceful silence lay over all, and night had run the half of her swift course, down from the heavens, from the royal throne, leapt your all-powerful Word” (Wisdom 18:14–15). Our silent hearts invite another incarnation. In the tranquility of silence the Word becomes living and active in us. Faith, hope, and love are born anew. We acquire the energy to live life to the hilt, and we increase our potential for eternal life.
Self-check
- Am I afraid to be alone?
- Am I uncomfortable doing nothing?
- Do I occasionally treat myself to several hours of solitude and silence—in a park, at the beach, or some other secluded area?
- During how much of each day do I experience silence?
- Do I always have the radio on when I drive?
- In the quiet evening hours do I always watch TV, or do I sometimes pray, read, or reflect?
- After receiving Communion, do I pray—or watch people go by?
- How much time do I allow for daily prayer?
A Prayer
Jesus, you speak to me when I am silent. Once amid thunder and crashing waves when you said, “Peace, be still,” the wind and waves obeyed you. Now calm me. Lord, quiet my body so that I might rest in your presence. Silence my heart and mind so that I might wait attentively for your word. Then when I am still, speak, Lord, and I will listen.
What is your favorite memory of silence?
Here is the snow falling as seen from my balcony Tuesday:
