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Okay. And then go.

Wonder opens our hearts too. Beauty in the ordinary.

Miracles everywhere.

Holy moments. Don't let the world steal your wonder.

Sometimes God answers prayers with a quiet yes. And sometimes He answers prayer with something so unexpected, so beautiful, so specific that the only honest response is awe. In Santa Fe, New Mexico, there is a small chapel that has been inspiring awe since it was built. It's called the Loretto Chapel. And tucked inside this modest space is a staircase that has startled believers, baffled builders, confounded cynics, and fascinated skeptics for 150 years. They call it the miraculous staircase. But here's the part I love most about this story. It begins with a problem and a prayer. In the late 1800s, the sisters of Loretto built a chapel for their school. It was beautiful, Gothic, graceful, and full of light. It was just one issue. The original architect died suddenly and left no way to get up to the choir loft. The sisters needed a staircase, but the space was tight. A normal staircase would take up too much room. Multiple expert builders concluded that only a ladder would work, but the sisters felt it would be both unattractive and dangerous. So they did what God's people have always done when they reached the edge of their own limitations. They prayed. The sisters prayed in Novina, nine days of persistent prayer to St. Joseph.

Why St. Joseph? He was the patron they needed. A carpenter, a man who worked with wood and tools, a man who knew how to build what others couldn't. On the final day of the Novina, a stranger appeared at the chapel. He wasn't from town. He rode in on a donkey. He was quiet, unassuming. He offered to build the staircase. He asked to work alone. He used simple tools. And when he finished, he disappeared without collecting payment and without leaving his name. The sisters came to believe that it was St. Joseph who had appeared and built their staircase. Some people want to argue about every detail of that part of the story. They look at historical records, trying to unearth who the man could have been. And that's fine. Plenty of debate and mystery still surround the stairs today. But even if you strip the legend down to the bones, the staircase itself remains astonishing.

The staircase rises about 21 feet to the choir loft. And it makes two complete 360 degree turns. A stunning helix, like something you'd expect to see in a physics textbook, not in a small chapel in the desert. But here is the feature that stops people in their tracks. There is no central support pole, no new posts, no obvious way the staircase should be standing at all. And yet it stands. Even more astonishing, it was assembled without nails using wooden pegs, and the wood itself was not local to New Mexico. It is a masterpiece of careful craftsmanship, intelligence, and patience. It's also worth noting that the staircase originally had no handrails. The people found it frightening to climb until railings were added later. This is not a crude structure. It is elegant, precise, almost delicate, and still strong enough to have served for decades. Many expert carpenters have come to evaluate the staircase, and they are consistently blown away. Even with modern tools, the feat of engineering is mind-boggling. Still, questions remain, and the staircase continues to draw people who want to understand how it was made. But for the sisters who prayed that novena, the meaning was clear. God provided. Not in a generic way, in a very specific way, with exactly what they prayed for through the intercession of the saint they knew was best for the job. When we talk about St. Joseph, we often talk about his silence, his humility, his steadiness. But don't miss this. Joseph was a working man, a craftsman, and he didn't just build tables and door frames. He built a home where Jesus could grow in strength and wisdom. Imagine Jesus as a boy, watching Joseph shape wood with strong hands and a gentle heart. Imagine Joseph teaching Jesus how to measure, how to sand, how to cut, how to be patient with imperfect material.

The Son of God learned a trade from his foster father. What does that tell you? God loves work. He loves to work through ordinary means. He loves tools, time, and process. And God loves collaboration. And God loves persistent prayer. Throughout this 33-day journey, we've explored the power of prayer. But here we discover a vital truth that helps evolve our understanding of prayer. Nothing amplifies the power of prayer more than persistence. The sisters didn't pray for one day and quit. They didn't pray twice and declare it useless. They prayed for nine days. They stayed with it. They persevered. And in their persistence, they created space for God to act. Novenas are a great gift to Catholics everywhere. Novena is nine days of persistent prayer with a beginning, a middle, and an end, offered with trust and surrender. Novenas teach us to pray consistently and persistently. So let me ask you, what do you need to pray persistently for? What have you been carrying for a long time? A relationship you want healed, a child you're worried about, a job situation you can't untangle, a temptation you're tired of losing to, a betrayal that still stings, a heartache that endures, a grief that hasn't faded? Perhaps you should consider praying a novena, not to force God's hand, but to open your heart.

Trust.

Surrender believe.

Receive.

Do you believe in miracles?

You are a miracle.

In today's lesson, nothing amplifies the power of prayer more than persistence. Not because God needs convincing, but because we need forming. Pray with faithful perseverance and invite God into the situations you face with trust and consistency. Persistence in prayer is powerful. And today's virtue, persistence. Persistence is the steady commitment to do what is right, what is good and loving, even when progress is slow and results are unclear. It shows up in prayer, in relationships, in work, and in personal growth. Persistence refuses to quit on God, on others, or on the person we are becoming. It trusts that small, faithful efforts repeated day after day, are how God builds what seems impossible in our lives.

I want to invite you today to become a member of Dynamic Catholics Ambassadors Club. If you're already a member, thank you. If you're not a member yet, click the button below, choose your welcome gifts, and join this incredible group of people who are having such an enormous impact on millions and millions of people every year. God bless you, have a great day, and remember, Be Bold, Be Catholic.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

God of miracles, wonders, and grace. I thank you for all the good you have done in my life.

For the miracles I recognize, and the many graces I so often overlook.

I open my heart completely to you today, inviting you to completely inhabit my soul. So that through me—

—others may encounter your love—

Your mercy.

Your compassion.

Your kindness—

—and your staggering generosity. Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Don't let the world steal your wonder. See you tomorrow.

See you tomorrow.

Have a great day.

Have a great day.