This past weekend (May 1-3, 2026), I attended one of my annual conferences.
It was our 78th Gulf Coast District Conference in Hoover, Alabama, hosted by Zone Four of the Knights of Peter Claver and Ladies Auxiliary.
The theme was “Claverism and the Holy Spirit-The Force That Moves You.”
Ironically, each morning or evening, our Chaplain offered a reflection during our prayer services.
For me, it was the Saturday morning prayer service that he asked us to think about what percentage of “Faith” we have tied to our religion.
What was interesting was that he told us that none of us in the room is 100 percent reliant on our faith.
He went on to use a grade card, saying that 75% would be like a “C” in school.
This allowed me to reflect even more deeply, knowing that many of us, me included, rarely received a “C” in anything.
Therefore, today I must ask you have you ever thought about what is the percentage of faith tied to your religion?
As you look at your own scorecard, think about the last time you faced challenges and setbacks.
Think about how you dealt with losing a loved one or a family member recently.
Think about how you deal with adversity daily and how much you rely on the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the force that moves me each day in my life.
Father Vernon, our Chaplain, is famous for saying that “You have to go through it to get to it.”
In my opinion, what each of us goes through each day, both good and bad, reflects our faith.
Who we call upon when times are both good and bad is only known by us.
As I now have passed six years of journaling five things to be grateful for each day, I know where I am in my faith.
I can look back at those moments when I relied on my faith to get me through both the good and the bad times.
One thing is for sure: life is what you decide to make it.
I believe that you can be the healthiest person in the world, and when it’s your time, it’s your time.
Therefore, the question is, what percent of your faith is tied to your religion?
Knowing that you can’t be 100 percent, because we’re all human and have flaws, take a moment to think about your rating of yourself.
Today, I challenge you to think about yourself as a person of faith as we begin this week. Take a moment and also reflect on your life and how far you have come to be the person you are today.
“I love the man that can smile in trouble, that can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but he whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves his conduct, will pursue his principles unto death.” Thomas Paine
“Even the darkest night will end, and the sun will rise.” – Victor Hugo
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Come, Holy Spirt, come.
Donna,
Blessings to you and yes “Come, Holy Spirt, come.”
Tony
Today, I challenge you to think about yourself as a person of faith as we begin this week. Take a moment and also reflect on your life and how far you have come to be the person you are today. My faith was nurtured very early in life, like maybe the 1st grade. Blessed to be raised by both parents in a smal rural area of a small town, the oldest of 8 siblings, both parents had little or no formal education – my parents, in retrosopect, sacrificed a lot to send “all” of us to Catholic School. Fortunately the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrement’s mission was to help train and guide young girls and boys in Faith – they did it for 12 years. After the tragic accident that took my father’s life, he 43, me, oldest, 17, is when my faith took a few leaps and bounds in my life, no doubt. Until my mom passed away via stroke caused by heart issues, every time “her grown up kids” visited her home, half of us from out of town, while we watech tv she was sure to come from behind you and drop an open bible saying “read this”, sometimes, “explain it”. An open large bible on her kitchen island. My faith keep growing as over the years after she passed, I took over those reins and now via bible and Catholic apps like the Laudate, I can refresh faith with daily mass scripture readings to meditate on; that app has the same Catechism we used back at Sacred Heart School – all black now closed after intergration. After dad’s death the family went through more sudden deaths, including two younger brothers of mine. All of these “go through it to get it” challenges in life helped make me a stronger person in life and in Faith. Every day as I meditate on these scriptures there are times I am moved by the Spirit to send the scrpture reading to my sisters and my children… kind of like mom would no; dad, a Marine vet, although he worked 24/7 as a laborer, there were times while catching up with a nap would call me over and say read this scripture and explain – let me see what I paid for with your education – in a dril sargeant voice – made me nervous LOL. Need I say more in terms of who I have become as a person today? As a result of that type of rearing, I owe it all my heros in life – mom and dad, what a blessing! This little rural black little village boy, once quite the sports talent looking to become professional baller in life, ran into a detour in life at 17, and haven’t looked back since, now 79, 80 in January – rose through the ranks to become CEO to largest transit systems in Louisiana… semi-retired, now consulting whan I can. Amen.
Bill,
What a blessing it was to read your testimony, as you definitely had to “Go through it to get to it.” I’m humbled by our relationship; we have two Catholic Men of Faith. Keep the faith! I appreciate you!
McKinley
I am glad you issued the challenge for us to think about and examine ourselves in relation to our faith. I know that there were times early in my life that I suffered from a crisis of faith which was connected to the premature deaths of my mother and a brother from cancer. They were 34 and 11 respectively. However, I was able to overcome that shroud of doubt when I reflected on the fact that they never lost their religious faith despite their hardships. Who was I to lose faith when they never wavered for even one moment in their faith. I also came to realize how many obstacles (seen and unseen) I was able to overcome and successes I was able to achieve only because the Lord placed people and circumstances in my life that not only allowed, but caused those things to happen. My greatest concern is not that my religious faith has waned. It is that my faith in many of the people of this country has been eroded. I believe your quotes from Thomas Paine appropriately address what I am feeling. It is the business of little minds to shrink and it is apparent that their consciences are in approval of their selfish thoughts and actions.
Sam,
I’m humbled by your openness to share. As you reflect on life and how you overcame adversity with the premature deaths of my mother and a brother from cancer, I’m sure there is another chapter waiting to be read. Thank you for sharing. I was also told that we can only control ourselves and not others. When I know that it’s the same God today as yesterday, I have learned to deal with the current status of this country. The quote from Thomas Paine was through the Holy Spirit.
McKinley