Have you ever been discouraged in pursuing a big dream because of your circumstances in life?
I was.
I didn’t think I would qualify for a video contest on YouTube.
I didn’t have any experience nor the gear to make one.
Plus I was unemployed.
St. André’s life was filled with those seemingly limiting circumstances.
First, he was rejected by the Congregation of Holy Cross in Montreal because of his frail health.
But André was finally able to enter the congregation because an archbishop intervened on his behalf.
Then in 1904, when he requested to build a chapel dedicated to St. Joseph, the archbishop of Montreal only gave permission to build it if he used his own money and refused to give him any financial support.
And how much money did he have?
Only nickels.
Despite scarce funding, he continued to work towards that big dream, reassuring the archbishop, "I have only my great devotion to St. Joseph to guide me."
Collecting donations, he built a small wooden shelter to serve as both shrine and shelter for pilgrims and continued working on it.
André never lost sight of his faith and devotion to the dream he knew God was calling him to do.
He dreamt big because he knew that his dream was ultimately not for him but for the service of others.
André didn’t mind starting small because he knew in his heart that God would help him complete the work of his hands, which, by the way, is now known as the Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal Basilica, Canada’s largest church, with one of the largest church domes in the world.
I’m sure his patron, St. Joseph, was pleased because today it also remains the biggest shrine shrine dedicated to St. Joseph in the world.
Like André, with borrowed gear, a big dream and a ton of prayers, I submitted the video.
And I won.
I went to the US for free, met the UN Secretary General which led me to build a school in a remote village in Guatemala ultimately blessing 250+ students every year.
May we like St. Andre, give our all, be it in the form of time, talent or treasure.
He showed us that it’s not how much we give that matters to God but how big our faith is.
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
What are the circumstances that stop me from serving the Lord?
What small action can I start with in order to reach that big dream that God has planted in my heart?
CALL TO ACTION:
Raise to God in prayer the circumstances that are stopping you from serving Him or bringing Christ to someone and ask Him to show you how to overcome these challenges.
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