Moments of Grace, CD

Grace MacKinnon

Do you ever look around and think, if my life were as easy as my neighbor's I'd be a saint? We often think that our sufferings are keeping us from becoming holy, but this isn't true!
      "In Heaven, our sufferings will be the jewels in our crown," teaches Grace MacKinnon in her new three tape (or CD) series Moments of Grace. And her words are not pious platitudes. Born with cerebral palsy, Grace has shouldered a heavier cross than most. Yet, she has used her sufferings to grow in holiness and help other Catholics as well.

      Looking back on her life, Grace says she never dreamed she would one day work for a bishop, hold a degree in theology and write a Catholic newspaper column. She can now say joyfully, "Our God is a god of surprises." But Grace was not always grateful to God for her life.
      Born with a crippling birth defect, at six months of age she could not even sit up. Her family called her "patito" or little duck, and for the first six years of her life she was cared for as a total invalid.
      Through the kindness of family and friends and her own perseverance, Grace received a good education and learned to cope with her handicap. She had to fight for opportunities we take for granted, but through many "moments of grace" and her own persistence, she graduated from college, married and leads a regular life.

      Although Grace was raised a Catholic, growing up she felt distant from God and questioned why He sent her suffering. One lonely night in her college dormitory she prayed out loud to God: "I know you've been after me for a long time and I've been running away from you, but I'll tell you what. I don't think I'm good enough for you God. If you think I am, come into this life of mine and help me." And from that night on she had a conversion of heart and her life began to change.
      Grace sensed that God was calling her to build up His kingdom, and with the encouragement of her parish priest, she successfully pursued a Master's in Theology. Now she travels throughout her diocese teaching the much-needed Catechism of the Catholic Church.

      Grace goes on to explain how she teaches The Catechism of the Church with "the catechism of her life." She explains that suffering is about love - first Jesus' love for us on the cross and in return our love for Him. And why we must strive for the prayer of Father Miguel Pro, who said to Our Lady: "I don't wish to savor the happiness of Bethlehem or accompany you on your glorious assumption. For my life I covet the jeers of Calvary, loving my God with the immolation of my being."       Grace divides the spiritual life simply into the road to life and the road to death. And the signposts of the road to life are the Ten Commandments. When you listen to Moments of Grace, you'll be inspired to use your own trials and sufferings to bring you the greatest happiness possible.

In This Series You’ll Learn:

• The three characteristics of love and how they lead us to God
• Why we have to make restitution for our sins
• How to truly worship God on Sunday
• What "eschatological amnesia" is and how to avoid it
• How suffering is about love
• Why happiness can only be found in God
• How trials should bring one closer to God
• How the spiritual life is simply divided into "the road to life and the road to death"
• What danger lies in even "small" sins
• And much more!