Monday, February 20, 2012

The Heroism of Everday Life

The Christian vocation consists of making heroic verse out of the prose of each day.  ~St. Josemaria Escriva 

The above line comes from a homily of St. Josemaria Escriva that he gave at the University of Navarre on October 8, 1967.  It came to my mind last night while I was reading a wonderful article by Bob Greene, "John Glenn's True Hero."  Glenn was indeed heroic "when, as one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, he was blasted alone into orbit around the Earth"".  Greene points out, however, that Glenn has never really considered himself a hero "because the heroism he most cherishes is of a sort that is seldom cheered."  That heroism is embodied in Annie, his wife of 68 years.  According to Greene, Annie and John met in a playpen and have been in love ever since.  Until the age of 53, Annie had a severe disability of stuttering -- "85% of the time, she could not manage to make words come out."  She suffered greatly.  She persevered and coped as best as she could.  She got on with her life. She tried various treatments, but none worked until she found a doctor who ran an intensive program that has enabled her ever since "to talk fluidly, and not in brief, anxiety-ridden, agonizing bursts."

John is right, she's a hero.  And so is he -- a hero of love.  Heroic verse indeed!  Theirs is a true love song that may not top the charts, but God hears it, and when He looks upon them, His beloved children, He is well pleased.

Do read Green's article if you can.  He's an excellent writer, and he beautifully captures the heart of this heroic couple.  And be sure to check out St. Josemaria's homily as well.  He also was a hero, always worth listening to and imitating.

But in all these things we overcome,
because of him that hath loved us.
~Romans 8:37

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