Morning Star Newsletter Monthly Reflection 

September 2026

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Being Formed by Christ 

Author: Peggy Sue Mutchler, Youth and Adult Ministry Events Program Coordinator  

Have you ever had one of those days? The kind where life is great, you are cruising along happily, and then “Boom!” your day takes a turn you didn’t expect. You know, when it rains, it pours! For me, this whole month has been like that. One unexpected turn after another. Life has been a roller coaster of nature’s surprises!  

“God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress.” -Psalm 46:2-3 

I have been writing reflections for over a year now for the Morning Star. If you follow any of these, you have learned quite a bit about me and my life: from my son being stuck in a cave for 18 hours to my kitchen counter being invaded by teensy tiny ants. It is so easy to go down the rabbit hole of negative thoughts, isn’t it? My past month alone has been filled with trial after trial: mice in my attic, ants in the kitchen, a rattlesnake out my front door, and baseball-sized hail destroying more than I can count.  

But in the midst of the chaos, there is grace in the holy pause—the moment I stop and ask, “Lord, who are you forming me to become through this trial?” 

“We are the clay and you our potter: we are all the work of your hand.” – Isaiah 64:7 

How fitting that September is dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. We are invited to turn our hearts toward Our Lady of Sorrows and be reminded that her life was not untouched by suffering. From Simeon’s prophecy to the flight into Egypt, from losing Jesus in the Temple to standing beneath the Cross, Mary knew grief, fear, helplessness, and loss.  

And yet, through every sorrow, Mary remained faithful. 

Mary did not always understand what God was doing. She could not prevent every painful moment, nor could she take away the suffering of her Son. But she always remained close to Him.  

There is something deeply consoling in that. Most of us encounter suffering we would never choose. I certainly did not choose the mice, the ants, or the rattlesnake! We do not ever plan to choose illness, loss, disappointment, or broken hearts; all of that is out of our control. So how do we respond when trials come? We want God to remove the cross. 

Our Sunday gospel today was Matthew 16:23. After Jesus laid out His plan for salvation, Simon Peter cries out, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen…” and Jesus was quick to respond: “Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are not thinking as God does, but as human beings do.” Peter must have been shocked; after all, moments before, Jesus declared him Peter, the rock upon which He would build His church, promising that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” 

Why did Jesus speak so harshly to Peter? The stakes were eternal. The Cross is not optional. 

At times, our suffering can seem unbearable, and we want to escape, but have you realized this is where God forms us? 

Redemptive suffering does not mean suffering is good, or that we should purposely seek it out. It simply means that when suffering enters our lives, we do not have to let it go to waste. We can unite it to Christ’s suffering on the Cross.  

Saint Paul writes in Colossians 1:24, “In my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is the church.” 

Christ lacks nothing…Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross was complete and perfect. Yet, in His love, He allows us to participate in His saving work by offering our own sufferings in union with His.  

Mary shows us what this looks like. At Calvary, she could not stop the Crucifixion. She could not take away Jesus’ pain. She could only remain beside Him, love Him, and entrust herself completely to God. Her presence beneath the Cross was an act of extraordinary faith, courage, and surrender.  

Sometimes, our own faithfulness looks much the same. 

Sometimes, we cannot fix what is broken. We cannot change another person. We cannot make grief disappear. We cannot understand why God has allowed a particular cross into our lives. But we can know He will draw good from it. 

We must remain with Christ.  

“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 

I am so grateful that we can talk to God like a friend. We can even pray, “Jesus, I do not understand this, but I give it to You. Unite my suffering to Your Cross. Use it for someone who needs grace. Use it for my family. Use it to draw me closer to You.” 

Our Lady of Sorrows reminds us that sorrow and holiness are not opposites. Some of the deepest acts of love happen precisely when we choose to remain faithful in the midst of pain and suffering.  

Let us look to Our Mother and remember not to carry our crosses alone, but to bring them to her Son. We can ask our Lord God, “Where are you forming me in this moment?” 

May we remember that God is with us, even in suffering, always forming us in each moment.  

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.