Father Solanus Casey, similar to Jesus, had a significant impact on countless individuals. He emphasized the importance of service, love, prayer, sacrifice, and worship as integral aspects of leading a virtuous life. Additionally, he stressed that self-sacrifice was crucial for nurturing a strong bond with God. Given his unwavering devotion to God, parallels between him and Jesus naturally arose.
Father Solanus deeply believed in a life of dedicated worship, praying multiple times daily from childhood until his death. He had absolute faith in the sustaining power of his devotion to Mary through the rosary. At the monastery, he occasionally dozed off on the chapel floor while engrossed in prayer. Through prayer, Father Solanus discovered and embraced God’s magnificent blessings and eternal intentions for humanity.
Father Solanus dedicated his life to advancing the kingdom of God by delivering sermons to both Catholics and non-Catholics. He spread the message of God and Jesus, inviting all individuals to embrace the kingdom of God through love for God and their neighbors. In addition, Fr. Solanus worked tirelessly to proclaim the gospel and alleviate hunger, mirroring the actions of Jesus. Like Jesus, he fully devoted himself to advancing the kingdom of God throughout his entire life.
Father Solanus mirrored the paschal mystery in multiple ways. Similar to Jesus’ crucifixion, his passing was a gradual and agonizing process. Additionally, he engaged in prayer during his final moments. Comparable to the sorrow experienced by Jesus’ followers, his death was a deeply sorrowful event for his devout followers. Furthermore, even after Fr. Solanus’ demise, he continued to provide assistance and healing, mirroring the actions of Jesus.
When Jesus washed the feet of his disciples, he demonstrated his love and devotion for them, despite knowing that they would betray him in his most desperate time of need. Father Solanus emulated this same love and compassion towards all the individuals he interacted with. Whether they were sinners, non-Catholics, or had made poor choices in the past, Father Solanus extended his help and healing to everyone without discrimination. Just like Jesus, Father Solanus loved all of God’s children unconditionally.
Like Jesus, Father Solanus provided numerous examples of leading a righteous life before his death. He emphasized the importance of surrendering to God and relinquishing self-will as the ideal way of living. In addition, he taught the significance of expressing perpetual gratitude for the countless blessings bestowed upon us by God. Father Solanus firmly believed that if we comprehended even a fraction of what God has done for us, we would be entirely content with our existence.
Father Solanus was a remarkable individual who excelled in education and healing. He also had profound religious wisdom and remained faithful to God’s guidance throughout his life. Most importantly, he was blessed with divine favor and fervently inspired countless individuals to embrace this path.
The teachings and works of Father Solanus closely mirrored those of Jesus. I believe that Father Solanus would be more satisfied with how people have honored his name and memory than Jesus was when he witnessed the way people misused his name and memory.
