Do You Know What You Were Made For?

Added: 2026-06-10

[00:00:01]Welcome to the morning offering, your daily call to prayer. Pray with us every day right here on the podcast and in your inbox. Learn more at morningoffering.com.

[00:00:11]>> Hey y'all, welcome to your morning offering. My name is Father Brad Doyle and today is June 9th, Tuesday of the 10th week in ordinary time.

[00:00:19]Let's pray.

[00:00:20]In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[00:00:24]O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of your Sacred Heart in union with the holy sacrifice of the mass throughout the world for the salvation of souls the reparation of sins the reunion of all Christians and in particular the intentions of the Holy Father this month. Amen.

[00:00:47]In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

[00:00:51]I want to share with you something I I started to write. Um I I might have mentioned this before, but I started to write a children's book. Um and it's called The Chalice of Alice Nunnamaker and and it it came from an idea. I was given a chalice by a deacon, Deacon Jimmy Wax, and um he saved it from a pawn shop and then he gave it to me and on the bottom is Alice Nunnamaker and um and I was like, who is this person?

[00:01:22]And the story doesn't say who this person is, but the story is like, how did this chalice get from like the church to a pawn shop and then to me?

[00:01:31]And so I want to read you my first little bits of The Chalice of Alice Nunnamaker. And the whole thing about it and don't steal this and go write The Chalice of Alice Nunnamaker. Like it's not copyrighted, but like everyone would know and I'd call you out.

[00:01:45]Um but it's about the true telos or or the end, the meaning of things.

[00:01:53]Right? So what is the telos? What is the purpose of a chalice?

[00:01:57]was to be a vessel of the Eucharist in the worship of God.

[00:02:03]It's not to be a museum piece. It's not to be a trophy to be had. It's not to be something to drink Coke out of. It's not to be something you collect uh money in cuz you're a frog that's busking on Decatur Street in the French Quarter, which is a character. Okay.

[00:02:21]The Chalice of Alice Nennemacher.

[00:02:24]The respire standing up at the top of thick mists in the muggy city with its old French Square.

[00:02:31]Under the spires, there was a church below veiled by fog only the locals could bear.

[00:02:38]And in the church behind the ark, a sacristy was laid dark and still night.

[00:02:43]And on the wall, a shadow box hidden from almost all men's sight.

[00:02:49]There in the box, a cup for the viewing imprisoned in its dusty locker. And on the bottom of the chalice read in memory of Alice Nennemacher.

[00:03:02]Her only desire was to be used once more for the great and eternal mysteries.

[00:03:07]But her beauty was only museum-like placed behind glass by lock and keys. You see how it's like this chalice was like a museum piece.

[00:03:16]That's not its telos.

[00:03:19]But on the mark But on that March night, she was not alone.

[00:03:23]It was not the rector, Father Pierre Hebert.

[00:03:27]Around the jamb of the sacristy door the eyes of a cat burglar fixed to stare.

[00:03:34]"What a glorious sight!

[00:03:36]What a trophy I see!

[00:03:39]It's not being used for much today."

[00:03:42]said the thief as he cracked the shadow box glass and whispered the sacred cup away.

[00:03:50]Bom bom bom.

[00:03:54]And the chalice is going to go on all these adventures and the police are going to catch the cat burglars and then it's going to pop out of the police car and slide down the bustle of a debutante and be kicked down the street by a horse and a tour guide and then a busker's going to pick it up and be like until it finally makes it to St. Francisville.

[00:04:13]Deacon Wax is going to save it, give it to me, and then it's going to be used for the mass.

[00:04:18]You know, you have a chalice.

[00:04:21]You're like a chalice.

[00:04:23]There's a lot of things you can use a chalice for.

[00:04:29]But, the question is, what are you for?

[00:04:34]This has been your reflection for today.

[00:04:35]If it was helpful for you, go to morningoffering.com and sign up. We'll be in your inbox every morning. [music] This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

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[00:04:53]The Morning Offering is a production [music] of Good Catholic, the media division of The Catholic Company. For more faith-filled podcast and videos, visit goodcatholic.com. [music]