Award-winning author, speaker, and evangelist. "He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge" (Psalm 91:4)
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Author: Amy Schisler
Amy has been writing all ofher life as an author and freelance writer. Her first children’s book, Crabbing With Granddad, is an autobiographical work about spending a day harvesting the Maryland Blue Crab.
Her debut novel, A Place to Call Home, was released in 2014 by Sarah Book Publishing. A second edition was published in March of 2015. Picture Me, A Mystery, published in 2015, is the winner of the 2016 Illumination Bronze Award as one of the top three eBooks of 2015. Amy’s critically acclaimed novel, Whispering Vines, published in 2016, was awarded the Illumination Bronze Award as one of the top three Christian Romance book of 2016. She followed up her success with Island of Miracles in 2017. All of Amy’s books may be purchased in bookstores as well as online on all major print and ebook sites.
Amy grew up in Southern Maryland, received her Bachelor’s Degree from Salisbury University, and graduated from the University of Maryland with a Master’s in Library and Information Science. A former librarian and teacher, she now lives on the Eastern Shore of Maryland with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs.
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21.
We’ve just begun the season of Advent. It’s a time of preparation but also a time of healing, sharing, and reaching out to others. There is so much we can do, in ways both large and small, to have an impact on the lives of others. Take your children to drop off gifts at a homeless shelter or a prison. Support your local organizations that help those in need (look for a St. Vincent de Paul Society near you and ask how you can help). Bake cookies for the shut-in across the street, and spend time with her when you deliver them. Call an old friend or family member you haven’t seen or spoken to in a while. Let go of old grudges, and forgive. Open your heart to the relatives you’d rather not spend time with or those far away. Ask them how they are, and let them know you care.
It’s not enough to sing songs of goodwill and peace on earth if we aren’t living lives of goodwill and peace. In fact, it’s kind of like the two missing verses from today’s Gospel.
For my entire life, I’ve been a fan of superheroes, in particular, Super-Man, Wonder Woman, and Spiderman. I’m sure many of us have heard the line often attributed to Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben, “With great power comes great responsibility.” It’s a line I’ve often pondered, and I was surprised to learn that it has its roots in the Gospel of Luke and in the Gospel from Matthew.
The servant, who doesn’t take his master’s coin and multiply it, is chastised by the king. The man was given something and expected to increase its value, to make it useful to the king, to expand the king’s power and his kingdom. Instead, he kept it, stored it away, and gave it back to his master without any added value.
“One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life.” Psalm 27:4
I studied a bit of psychology in high school and college. That’s what one does when working toward a social sciences degree. Intro to Psych, Psychology of Elections, Behavior and Psychology were all classes that fit in with my Political Science and History studies. In several classes, we discussed Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the five basic needs upon which all human motivation is based. These needs propel us to seek food, safety, shelter, companionship, self-esteem, and self-actualization (becoming the best versions of ourselves). These needs are depicted in a pyramid structure with our most basic physiological needs at the bottom, and self-actualization (the hardest and most often last to achieve—if ever) was the small point at the top.
The creator of this hierarchy of needs, Abraham Maslow was an atheist, though he did come to believe that spiritual (what he called “peak”) experiences were very important and added meaning to human lives. He believed psychology was a replacement for religion, giving humans a way to discover their fears, desires, etc. through more empirical means than spiritual ones. Maslow’s hierarchy was meant to show the progression of humans, not just in terms of what they needed, but in how they sought their needs.
The Shaky Foundation
It makes perfect sense to me that our most fundamental needs are those of survival—air, water, food, sleep, and shelter—and that the basis for these is purely physical. I also see the next level of need as a worldly concept. Maslow and society tell us that humans can only thrive and survive if they have personal safety, good health, financial security, and a sense of order. Though the psalmist would argue what we hear in today’s reading, “The Lord is my light and salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. “Matthew 18:10
As you read this, I’m either anxiously awaiting the birth of my second grandchild (and first grandson) or am helping my daughter and her husband with their two littles ones. What joy fills me that my daughter has received these blessed babies from our Lord. What fear I feel for their futures in this world full of uncertainty.
When my three girls were growing up, each one of them had a print hanging in their rooms of guardian angels. They learned and recited the Guardian Angel Prayer* at school and knew their angels were watching over them. Sometimes, I wonder if we outgrow our angels. Are they able to keep up with us on those days we can barely keep up with ourselves?
“Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” Luke 5:5
I come from a long line of watermen. Many of the men in my mother’s family were fishers, oystermen, crabbers, boat builders, or a combination of all of four. My husband began his career as a commercial crabber at the age of eleven, as an apprentice on his uncle’s boat. Though his ultimate full-time career became the law, he still has his commercial license and crabs multiple times a week during the season. This allows us a little spending money, family vacations, and this year, a new freezer and woodstove!
One of our favorite things to do in the entire world is invite friends and family to go crabbing and then feast on our catch. Most of the time, we’re able to haul in enough crabs to feed everyone. Some weeks, we know that won’t be possible. This year, crabs didn’t really start running in our area until a few weeks ago. That meant, July 4th week, Ken was out every morning just in case our group didn’t catch enough on the 4th.
“If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith, come and take refuge in my shadow.” (Judges 9:15)
A Royal Kingdom
I was eleven when my mother woke me at 3am, and we crept to the basement to watch the royal wedding of Charles and Diana. I was obsessed with Diana from the moment of her engagement until her untimely death. I’ve always wondered if she knew what she was getting herself into.
I’ve continued following the royal family. I still wonder if these women had any idea what this life would be like? Do these children understand, what these titles mean and what the future holds?
“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Matthew 16:23
Peter, Peter, Peter. What can I say other than, I feel your pain and your regret and your embarrassment. I have walked in your shoes.
A Bold Declaration
Caesarea Philippi is one of the most beautiful places in the Holy Land. A colossal rock wall on the border with Syria towers above the clear, gentle waters that are the source of the Jordan River. I’ve reproclaimed my Baptismal Vows here, which is fitting for it’s where Jesus asked the question, “Who do you say that I am?” and where Peter proclaimed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
Peter alone made this bold declaration, and Jesus rewarded him with the keys to the kingdom, appointing Peter the chief steward (what we would call a prime minister today) over the Church, as Eliakim once was over Israel. In 2 Kings 19:2 and Isaish 36:22, we read that Eliakim was the chief steward, the keeper of the keys, the one who led the kingdom, guided the people, and maintained order whenever the king was away. His jurisdiction as the chief steward extended not only over the house of David, but “to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah” (Isaiah 22:21).
This is why we say Peter was the first Pope. The Pope is the chief steward over the house of God here on earth—the leader, guide, and order keeper of the Church. Many other passages in scripture confirm this, yet Peter was still just a human being, and a flawed one at that.
“’But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.’ And Jesus concluded, ‘Listen, then, if you have ears!’” Matthew 13:8-9
In May, I led forty-four pilgrims to France to learn about women saints, including St. Therese of the Child Jesus. I recently read her memoir, The Story of a Soul, but failed to appreciate her story until we visited Lisieux.
Good Soil
Therese was raised on good soil. Her parents were both saints, the first married couple to be canonized. All five of Louis and Zelle Martins’s became nuns. That’s quite a track record!
What struck me most about the saints was their quiet but powerful faith. They didn’t push their daughters to become religious sisters or flaunt their religiosity. They lived as humble servants of God and greatly influenced their children. Though Therese’s mother died when Therese was only four, Therese’s memories of her were of true love and commitment to God and family.
“I will seize the occasions that present themselves every day; I will accomplish ordinary actions in an extraordinary way” (Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân, Five Loaves and Two Fish).
Life is a journey on which we grow, learn, discover, and become. We begin that journey with many questions. Who am I? What is my purpose? What should I do? Where should I go? Where will I end up? The questions are large, small, simple, and complex; and often, the answers we discover lead to more questions. We long for answers with tidy endings, but life is not a book with a happily ever after!
I set the LORD ever before me; with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed. Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence; Because you will not abandon my soul to the nether world, nor will you suffer your faithful one to undergo corruption. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever. (Psalm 16:8-11)
How fitting that our Responsorial Psalm in today’s Mass reminds us that God will show us the path to life and give us fullness of joy. As discussed last time (May 1, 2025), joy is what we obtain when we live life abundantly. This path to a full life and the act of being fully alive, of obtaining true joy, is the meaning of life.
Once, at daily Mass in our church, our associate pastor, Father Michael Angeloni, said something that truly struck me. He said that everyone always says that life is short but in reality, life is the longest thing we will ever do.
Think about that. Life is the longest thing you will ever do.
Even if you work at the same job for 20 years, even if you are married to the same person for 50 years, whether you go to school for 12 years, 16 years, or 20 years, none of those will last as long as the entirety of your life.
You Only LIVE Once
Why do we dwell on how short life is when it’s literally the longest event we will ever experience? Life is the one thing we have a literal lifetime to perfect, to achieve, to become. We have our entire lives to live life in abundance, to discover its meaning for ourselves.
We should put more energy into thinking about what we are to do with our lives in the long run, not just today. This is what will bring us the joy of being fully alive.
There is something about the mantra, YOLO (You only live once) that has always bothered me. People use it as an excuse to do crazy things, to take unnecessary risks, and to throw away stability on a whim. Instead, shouldn’t we be putting all our efforts into perfecting the life we have been given? Shouldn’t we be looking for ways to be a better person, to fully use our talents, and to make this life the very best life it can be? Shouldn’t we be living our life abundantly with a bold passion, our eyes always on making our life and the lives of others better, richer, more meaningful?
There is a difference between having a passion for life and passionately living life. We can have a passion for life and strive to live to the fullest, being kind to others, exploring and using our gifts and talents, and growing into the person we are meant to be. We can also live life passionately, jumping from one thing to another, flying blindly without noticing where we are or who we are, and throwing caution to the wind. These two ways of living life with passion are very different.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t climb mountains and sky dive and fulfill our wildest dreams. It just means that we should know why we are doing it. Are we running from life, abandoning the life we’ve made, or living dangerously for unhealthy reasons?
Or are we truly taking advantage of all the opportunities that God has given us to live abundantly in this longest thing we’ll ever do? These are questions we must ask, among other, loftier questions.
A Successful Life
Why are you here?
Why has God given you the gift of life?
Who do you want to be?
What do you want your life to represent?
What will the meaning of your life be?
St. Gianna Molla is credited with saying, “The secret of happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all that He, in His goodness, sends to us day after day” (SaintGianna.org).
A successful life is lived moment by moment. Finding joy in each of these moments can be difficult, but we’re only given one life, and we need to enjoy it. This doesn’t mean we should live so passionately that we become reckless, but we should live with a passion for life. We should live with the knowledge that life is a gift we’ve been given, and we will have it as long as we’re on this earth. It’s meant to be cherished, shared, matured, and most importantly, lived. And we are meant to thank God for the life we have.
Unlike your time in school, your work career, your friendships, even your marriage, life is the one constant that is with you from the day you are born until the day you begin your eternal life. It’s the longest thing you will ever do, and you are meant to make the most of it.
As you work to achieve your dreams, make the most of each day and do your best to let each moment brim with love. (Pope Francis, Christ is Alive, 25 March 2019)
What are some ways we can make the most of life? We will explore this in Part 3, July 3, 2025.
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