Bl. Solanus would often lament: “The trouble with us is that we don’t appreciate our faith (or each other, etc.).” Examine the word “appreciate.” Notice at its core is “prec,” which comes from ”precious.” Solanus was saying that too often we stay on the surface of our faith and relationships (esp. the poor/sick). We don’t take time to go below the surface to see the preciousness that dwells in our faith, in ourselves and everyone else. “It’s my firm conviction that appreciation is as necessary for social order and harmony as is the law of gravity for the physical world.”


