We are now well into the first quarter of 2026. It has now been a full year since my last Catholic Business Journal article. During that time Pat and I have been continuing our work helping provide for more assistance to women in need at the St. John Paul II Life Center in Austin, Texas, and often thinking she, the expectant mother, has no way to save her unborn child and therefore must have an abortion! Thank God most of the time the expectant mother chooses life when her seemingly unsolvable problem is solved for her at the Center.
We also continue some travel but have been limited as I have had two hip replacements and recover learning to walk again over the las
t nine months. I continue to rehab. The blessings of God have been so good to me. Wonderful care from Dr. Kevin Bozic, my orthopedic surgeon, and nursing care from my wife Pat.
It is time to look ahead and consider the best ways to help others during 2026. I want to begin by sharing some guidance from three of my favorite saints.
Guidance from St. John Paul II
St. John Paul II said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” All we have to do is watch the so-called “news” on TV to see what damage a confused society is doing to mislead our youth and damage the stability of the family.
JPII further said, “the human being is single, unique and unrepeatable, someone thought of and chosen from eternity, someone called and identified by name.” When we put life in this context, it makes that living human being in the mother’s womb have the special characteristics that being saved each time the mother chooses life.
Again as JPII said, “It is the duty of every man to uphold the dignity of every woman.” To do this, the man should be a part of the woman’s decision-making process so that the unique child is nurtured and born into this challenging world with the love of mother and father.
The importance of having mother, father, and family speak kind words to the baby are captured in St. Mother Teresa’s statement “Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.”
We must never underestimate the importance of what is said between the baby and mother and father and the echoes can reverberate for lifetimes and be guidance for the child throughout his or her life and beyond. Always think about the difficulties our blessed Mother Mary experienced in giving birth to Jesus and caring for Him. We should keep Mother Mary close to us in prayer each day and remember what St. Maximillian Kolbe said, “If anyone doesn’t wish to have Mary Immaculate for his Mother, he will not have Christ for his Bro
ther.”
Threading the eye of a Needle
Think of putting a thread through the eye of the needle, it is not an easy job to thread the needle, but it must be done for the sower to do the job. And St. Mark (Mark 10:25) and St. Matthew (Matthew 19:24-26) tell us, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
It strikes me in literal terms as impossible for the camel to go through the eye of the needle. So this Bible passage has confounded me over the years. Like so much in the Bible, we must put ourselves back more than 2,000 years to learn the story and the context in which this was happening.
In ancient cities, large gates in city walls were often built with a small pedestrian door in or next to them. These narrow doors – called “the eye of the needle” – allowed foot traffic to enter while keeping the main gates securely closed.
A camel could make it through the narrow door, but not by itself. First, the camel had to be unloaded. Once unburdened, the camel was still too tall, So next, the camel had to kneel, often on a board. Only then, under the master’s direction, could it be dragged through the gate. Taken from Dan Hamlet’s book Through The Eye of the Needle.
The distinction between “ownership” and “stewardship”
We too need to be guided, unloaded and carried into his Holy City. Jesus finishes the moment (regarding it being easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God) with a powerful truth: “With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible.” It is the distinction between ownership and stewardship – each of us has use of our treasures while we possess them – but more so, as stewards than as absolute owners. Inclined as we are to forget we are only stewards during our lives. When we do forget as happens to each of us, then remember this parable of the camel and our true role as stewards.
My new understanding of the parable of the camel passing through the eye of the needle has come to me as I experienced new personal challenges and opportunities during 2025.
Remember Psalm 24:1 points out, “the world is God’s and everything in it – ownership rather than stewardship.
The result of this clearer understanding of thought has allowed me to greatly appreciate Philippians 4:11-13, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Can you and I make a positive difference in the world?
It is a usual thought that most Christians have at sometime in his or her life, “Can I make a positive difference in the world?” Yet as a steward over what God has entrusted to you that answer is in the situation in which you find yourself, as shared in the Word For You Today. You 
have been given someone else’s money and the opportunity to decide where it goes. The only thing that stands between you and unbridled joy is embracing that reality and pouring yourself into the work of God’s kingdom on earth.
There is an illusion of wealth’s power. The problem isn’t wealth itself; it’s the false belief that wealth can provide joy and contentment. We each can find joy and contentment when we have prayed for Jesus guidance and followed His plan for each of us.
I want to thank my friend Dan Hamlet, author of the book, Through the Eye of the Needle, for helping me find this understanding.
This leaves me with a question of how can I help others come to these realizations earlier in their lives than I have? My prayer to Jesus is to give all who read this article and who read Dan Hamlet’s book an open heart to believe and hope to develop the courage to seek God’s guidance in all that they do—all that you do— to find His unique plan for you..
Following are 10 Principles to Guide You
Solomon writes: “The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways.” “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty” (Pr 22:3 NIV). “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Pr 21:5 NIV). If you want to change your future, learn to make better decisions.
Let these 10 principles guide you:
- Never make a permanent decision based on temporary circumstances, if you do, when things change, you may regret it.
- Don’t let your emotions blind you to reason. Pray, weigh things carefully, and base your decisions on mature judgement.
- Surround yourself with sharp people, then draw on their gifts without being intimidated by their expertise.
- Take time to consider all your options. What looks good to you today may not look so good tomorrow.
- You can’t fight successfully on every front so choose your battles carefully. Some things are not worth fighting for.
- Take time to get all the facts; otherwise, you can end up in trouble.
- Consider the consequences of each action. Ask yourself, “Am I ready to handle this right now?”
- Make sure your expectations don’t exceed your potential and your resources. Focus on what God has gifted you to do, for that’s where you will succeed.
- Time is our most valuable resource, use it wisely.
- Never quit. Be willing to make mistakes, learn from them, and start over as often as necessary in order to succeed.
Now its time for each of us to get going in 2026! Do yourself a favor and get a copy of the book by Dan Hamlet, Through the Eye of the Needle and In Life The Journey Is Everything, both available on Amazon (click on the title for a direct link).
Let’s make 2026 the best year it can be and pray that our Lord Jesus guides us each step of the way.
Our challenge to serve others is stated in John 8:12 when Jesus said, “I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” Let’s share the light!
RELATED RESOURCES:
- Through the Eye of the Needle, by Dan Hamlet
- In Life The Journey Is Everything, by Tim and Pat Von Dohlen
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