Praying, Not Gawking:

My dear friend Alice shared the following story upon hearing of David Bowie’s death (shared here with permission):

A couple of days ago, our good friend, Brother Bernadino, came for a visit. He told a story about giving out Rosary beads near old St. Patrick’s in the East Village and running into David Bowie. My daughter, Bernadette, is a huge Bowie fan and was extremely interested to hear about it. Brother Bernadino told her she should be praying for David Bowie, and, although Bowie declined the Rosary, he was polite and gracious. We have been praying for him since then. It seems seems so sad and strange to hear about his passing just three days later. Surely, this is no coincidence. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

I was really touched by this sweet and humble way of looking at celebrities through the lens of our faith. Both fans and anti-fans tend to gawk and put celebrities on pedestals. Many post unbalanced or ugly things on social media. Why not take one celebrity that you are particularly connected to – either because you really appreciate their work or because they kind of get under your skin (and for some it can certainly be both!) and pray for them on a regular basis.

Saints:

St. Benedict

St. Bernardine of Siena

St. Cecelia

St. Gabriel