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Groaning and Healing

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How difficult will your healing be? Will it cause Jesus to groan?

Today’s Gospel is best understood in light of the First Reading from Genesis, in which we hear how the serpent tempted the woman, Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit and then hid from God in shame. What does this Original Sin have to do with Jesus healing the deaf man of the Decapolis to the astonishment of those who witnessed it?

The cure worked by Jesus impels the people to say, “He has done all things well. He makes the deaf hear and mute speak.” These words echo Isaiah’s prophecy of the blessings the Messiah would bring to the people (Is 35:4-6, Wis 10:21). It is clear that Jesus is announcing and enacting the long-awaited Good News, the Good News first announced to Adam and Eve after the Fall. Jesus IS the Savior who will set things right again and usher in a new creation.

This work of re-creation and salvation begins when Jesus is enfleshed in Mary’s womb, and his humanity participates in a personal way in the miracles he performs. He speaks to the crowds, but he heals people one-on-one: he talks to them, touches them, uses his own spittle to touch their tongues or their eyes… His attention to each one of us is very personal. In this particular instance, Jesus could have cured the man from a distance with a word, but he chose to illustrate the personal nature of his attention to each of us and his own personal nature by taking the man aside, touching the broken parts of his body, and praying aloud for his healing.

As he works this healing, Jesus groans. This is certainly not because this task was difficult for him! Perhaps it was to show us the difficulty of healing of those who are spiritually deaf and dumb due to the effects of sin. Sin closes us off spiritually from God, from each other, and from our true selves, in much the same way that dumbness and deafness (and blindness) make interacting difficult on a physical level. But Jesus comes to save us and longs to heal us so that we can live in true union with God and with each other, and become our best selves, the selves we are created to be.

What is the condition for this healing? We must surrender to it, give God permission and opportunity to work on us and in us at prayer and work with grace to conform our wills to His glorious will for us. When we do this, as Pope Benedict XVI said, “we losing nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great… (Jesus) takes nothing away, and he gives you everything.”

Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Deacon Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com.

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Leisure and Service

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Today’s Gospel is the episode of Jesus healing the Gentile woman’s daughter who had an unclean spirit. It takes all of the predictable turns of Jesus’ encounters with the poor: they beg, He has mercy, and they are healed.

I’ve heard this a million times; Jesus heals her. Saw that one coming. Yes, yes and yes.

At first glance, this is a very predictable tale. However, as I read through it today, the detail that stuck out to me the most was actually at the very beginning of the story:

“He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,
but he could not escape notice.”
-Mark 7:24

In the side column notes of my Fireside New American Bible, the commentary suggests that his visit to Tyre “may have been for respite” (1075). If it is true that Jesus really was tired and wanted a little privacy to recuperate, then the entire message and significance of the story changes.

My view of Jesus has been slowly changing from a static, indomitable force of love and mercy to a living and breathing Person to whom I can actually relate. For the record, I have zero cases of driving out demons, but I do know what it feels like to need some alone time to rest. That is “self-love” or “self-maintenance” that I think each person has a responsibility to uphold. Even Jesus needed it!

But despite His weariness or His humanity, He doesn’t close the door and say,

“Sorry, I’m on break. Come back in an hour.”

 He engages her, gives His attention and loves her.

Perhaps, in God’s divine wisdom, He knew this was an important Gospel to be read on a holiday for which love has been reduced to sentimentality, chocolates, and roses.

Real love is more than that.

It is willing the good of the other. It is choosing to serve our beloved even when we are tired. Love means choosing the other over ourselves. 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

During the week, Matthew Juliano is a mentor for individuals who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. He has started a Youtube Series that explains and raises awareness about the work he does, which can be found HERE. On the weekends, he is a drummer for Full Armor Band. You can find more content by Matt and his band at www.fullarmorband.com.

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The Breath of Life

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In the first reading today we hear the second story of creation. Where the first story paints the big picture of creation, the second quickly focuses on mankind in the Garden of Eden. I want to highlight two parts of this reading. The first is the creation of man. The scripture says, “the LORD God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.”

In the first creation story we hear about speaking creation into being, “God said…and there was.” But here we see God forming man out of clay. If you’ve ever made anything out of clay you know how physical and involved that process is. God didn’t merely call man into being, He crafted man with His hands. Then God got right into man’s face and breathed life into his nostrils. That’s how close God was to man.

But, as we will hear on Friday, man rejected God. Adam and Eve used the incredible freedom God had given them and rebelled against Him. And it’s at that moment that death became apart of man’s reality. God didn’t curse us with death because of sin, rather, we chose death. When we rejected God we rejected the very life He breathed into us, we chose not-life. So God banished Adam from the Garden and, “stationed the cherubim and the fiery revolving sword, to guard the way to the tree of life” (Gen 3:24).

Note that the tree of life is not the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Before they sinned there are no reasons to think that Adam and Eve didn’t eat freely from the tree of life, but now access to the tree has been severed. Mankind was separated from that fruit for thousands of years. Then God sent us a New Adam to undo the sin of the first.

Christian tradition recognizes the cross as the tree of life. A device that symbolized suffering and death, the worst effects of sin, was transformed into the image of salvation. And the fruit of this new tree of life, the fruit God sent angels with flaming swords to guard, is the very flesh of God: Christ’s body and blood, the Eucharist, the source of Divine Life.

Then on the very day of His resurrection Jesus, the first day of the New Creation, the Son of God, once again breaths on mankind.

“On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, ‘Peace be with you.’ When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

[Jesus] said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained’” (John 20:19-23).

Where the first Adam rejected the breath of life through his sin, the New Adam breaths divine life, the very power to remove sins, on His apostles. The death and resurrection of Christ is the great reversal of the Fall.

As a final reflection, I would like to draw your attention to the image at the top of this article. It’s a painting by Rembrandt titled, “Christ and St. Mary Magdalen at the Tomb.” Notice a couple of things. First, drawing from John’s Gospel where Mary Magdalen mistakes the resurrected Jesus for the gardener, Rembrandt depicts Christ with gardening tools. The God who tilled the Garden of Eden is now dressed as a gardener on the first day of the New Creation. And the angels, the ones God had sent to the tree of life with flaming swords, their job is done. They can relax and lounge in the garden. The tree of life is open again.

Paul Fahey is a husband, father, and a parish director of religious education. If you like what he has to say, read his work at Where Peter Is, check out his blog, The Porch, or follow him on Facebook.

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Unwashed Hands, Unwashed Hair

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One Christmas holiday several years ago, my oldest niece, a college student at the time, brought her boyfriend home to meet my parents, her grandparents. The first morning of their visit, Mark came to the breakfast table with a Kansas State ballcap on his head. He hadn’t had time to take a shower before breakfast and was embarrassed to be seen with “bed head.” Unfortunately, my niece had neglected to tell Mark one of the longstanding rules of my childhood home: No ballcaps in the house, and certainly not at the table.

As we all sat down for breakfast, my father looked over at Mark and said, “No ballcaps at the table.” (And it wasn’t because my father was a KU fan and not a K-State fan!) Mark started to explain that he hadn’t washed his hair when my father interrupted him: “Mark, if you want to be a member of this family, then you will follow our rules.” Mark took off his hat, patted his hair down as best he could, and 27 years and four daughters later, he and my niece are happily married with family rules of their own.

The scribes and Pharisees are enforcers of the law, even though it’s virtually lifeless and stifles true religious devotion and worship. When they see Jesus and his disciples eating without washing their hands they don’t see anything besides a so-called religious law being broken. They don’t see anything but their power and authority being questioned.

My father’s “no ballcap rule” was intended to instill respect. It was meant to sanctify the family meal and our participation in it. It all comes down to the value and need of tradition, which is life-giving vs. mindless obedience to laws, which distance people from God and the faith.

Honoring a well-thought-out rule teaches us obedience. We learn to humbly accept what is being passed on to us so that we may be members of a family…God’s family.

Father Tim S. Hickey is a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford currently serving as a mission priest in the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City, in his native Kansas. He is pastor of three parishes in rural Western Kansas.

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Do Whatever He Tells You

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Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, when in 1858, the Blessed Mother appeared to a 14-year-old girl in Lourdes, France. Now, over 160 years later, millions of people travel to the very place where Mary appeared seeking comfort and healing. It has also become a place for renewal of faith and conversion, which is a central part of Mary’s ministry.

She appeared 18 times from February 11 to July 16, 1858 to St. Bernadette, a peasant girl who flunked her catechetics exam. Her message was simple; she sought to heal the sick by the Lord’s Grace and remind us to pray for the conversion of sinners.

In today’s gospel, we hear the story of the Wedding at Cana when Christ performs his first public miracle—turning water into wine after the Blessed Mothers direct intercession when she realizes that there is no wine—a staple of the ancient world. Mary notices that the wine is out and turns to her son for help. She recognizes a need among her children and acts.

Christ responds, “Quid tibi mihi?”— “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” These may seem like disrespectful words coming from Jesus, especially to his mother. But he is speaking to Mary, the New Eve, as the New Adam. In the gospel of John, when Jesus refers to his “hour”, he is referring to Calvary. In essence, he is telling Mary, “Woman, if I do this, we are on the fast track to Calvary. Are you ready for that?”

Mary seeks the servants at the wedding, which can also be translated as slaves—the lowest of all the classes at the wedding. Then we hear the last words from the Blessed Mother recorded in Scripture. “Do whatever he tells you.” It’s a central theme in all of her apparitions—a call to conversion and to know Christ. And how beautiful is it that these are her final recorded words!

They speak perfectly to the role of Mary in our lives. She’s not meant to be a distraction from our worship of Christ, she’s meant to point us to him. She gives advice as a good mother does to ensure that her children are on the correct path.

She especially has the heart for what society may consider the lowliest of all—a small, sickly peasant girl in France and the servants at a wedding who have the blessed opportunity to know the wine came from God himself.

Her message at Lourdes and her final message in Scripture are challenging. They are meant to change hearts, but it is only the humble of hearts who can receive her words and act. How are you embracing the witness of Saint Bernadette and the servants at Cana?  Turn to Mary and pray for her intercession, that you too may call upon the help of the Lord and “do whatever he tells you.”

Hannah Crites is a native to Denver Colorado and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has written for numerous publications and blogs including the Chastity Project, Washington Times, Faith & Culture: The Journal of the Augustine Institute, and Franciscan Magazine. She is currently working in content and digital marketing for a small web development and digital marketing agency. Connect with her through Twitter (@hannah_crites) and Facebook. Check out more of what she has written at https://hannhcrites.com/.

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Our Good Shepherd

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Today would have been my grandmother’s 85th birthday. She died 14 years ago when I was 10 but I still miss her fiercely every day.

The first reading comes from the closing verses of Hebrews and it reminded me a lot of her. The Hebrews and, in turn, we are told to “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind”. My grandmother was the most selfless person I know. She gave everything of herself: her time, her talent, her treasure. And all of that, even if it didn’t go directly in the collection at Mass, went to serving God and showing His love and compassion to all those she encountered. That is exactly what the first reading is calling us to do–please God with our everyday sacrifices of love and charity.

The first reading also encourages us to follow our leaders: our priests, our religious brothers, and sisters, our deacons, our bishops, our cardinals, our pope. Our leaders’ vocation is to lead the flock and to do so with joy. Our role is to actively seek out our leaders for guidance, for support, for counsel, and for instruction. By doing so, by putting our trust in our leaders to help guide us toward Heaven, we help them live out their own vocation.

The last two verses of the reading are a blessing to people in which the author refers to Christ as the Good Shepherd. Today’s Gospel is the precursor to the multiplication of loaves; Christ shows that He is the Good Shepherd by providing the people spiritual food thereby satisfying their spiritual hunger before He satisfies their physical hunger. He responds to the needs of His flock with compassion and by having compassion for those who were “like sheep without a shepherd”, Christ teaches us how to bring others into the faith and closer to him.

Let us go about this day, and all our days, serving Christ our King fearlessly for, “Even though I walk through the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.”

Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO is studying for her Master’s in Spanish, and loves her job as an elementary school librarian. She is engaged to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time, she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others. Check out more of her writing at https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com.

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The Veil Between

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Praying with today’s readings has me focusing on the letter from the Hebrews. Hospitality, prisoners, the ill-treated, married couples as well as the greedy, the immoral and adulterers–the whole gamut of life, both good and ill, is referenced.

It goes on to say to be content with what we have, ‘I will never forsake you or abandon you.’ This is said 3 other times in the bible; Deut 31:6, Joshua 1:5 and  Mt 28:20. We are told to say with confidence: The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me? Here is one of the 365 times the bible tells us not to be afraid, yet I catch myself being anxious and fearful about some aspect of life every day.

It seems these fears, depression, anxiety, and illnesses can act as a veil. It limits our focus or world view to just getting through the current situation affecting me. It can cloud my hope and my ability to feel the love or care being offered by companions, family, and friends.  

Recently, my pastor referred to the veil that separates heaven and earth. He emphasized that the veil dissolves during the liturgy of the Eucharist every single time Mass is offered. He stressed that we can see the Father’s love outpoured in the living sacrifice we receive in the body and blood of His Son.

It struck me that this veil is so similar to that of those affected by illness (mental or physical). Many in society see only the illness, not the person. I think of my family members who struggle with reclusiveness, alcoholism, narcissism, COPD, Lyme disease, cancer, anxiety, and so many other maladies. This veil can keep the truth hidden in each situation, by those directly affected and those who are looking to judge. Similarly, there are many in the world who do not see the Eucharist as Jesus’ physical body and blood. A veil is over their eyes to the truth.

Pope Francis spoke to the youth of the world (WYD 2016 & 2019) about praying the stations of the cross because the stations are not just for our Lenten journey. The following introduction to the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum 2013 begins, “The call to follow Christ is addressed to all, especially to the young and to those who are tried by division, wars or injustice and who fight to be signs of hope and builders of peace in the midst of their brethren.”

We contemplate you, Lord, along this path which you were the first to tread, and after which “you built a bridge to death with your Cross, so that men might pass from the land of death to the land of Life” (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Homily).

Therefore, join me in placing ourselves before you with love, we present our sufferings to you, we turn our gaze and our heart to your Holy Cross, and strengthened by your promise, we pray: “Blessed be our Redeemer, who has given us life by his death. O Redeemer, realize in us the mystery of your redemption, through your passion, death, and resurrection” (Maronite Liturgy).

Beth is part of the customer service team at Diocesan. She brings a unique depth of experience to the team from her time spent in parish ministries, sales and the service industry over the last 25 yrs. She is a practicing spiritual director as well as a Secular Franciscan (OFS). Beth is quick to offer a laugh, a prayer or smile to all she comes in contact with. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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Go to Him

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I found something extremely interesting in today’s Gospel. The first line says that Jesus summoned his disciples and then sent them out. A lot of the time, we may feel that we are being asked to live our lives, but feel unprepared.

As someone that loves a good plan, it can be really hard for me when things go wrong. In life, how can you plan for the unplannable? Well, that’s where Mark 6:7 comes in, because we are not just sent out into the world to magically deal with everything. First, we are summoned by Jesus Christ himself.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, our God, loves us so deeply that if we were the only people in existence, he would create the world all the same. He would do it all over again if it were just you. This is a God that calls us. We don’t spread the message about Jesus because it’s written in the Bible, we spread the message because we have a love so great that it cannot be contained.

I was recently talking about the song Reckless Love and how it makes me cry every time. When asked why I said that the song made me feel so vulnerable and recognize how much I needed God. Right after I said that they that told me that it’s okay to come when He calls.

So many of us are afraid of asking for help, afraid of admitting we were wrong, or even worse, we feel guilty. That shouldn’t keep us from God. These feelings of pride and guilt are feelings straight from Satan. We don’t need to hide our nakedness from God. In fact, we are summoned to him, just for having these feelings so that he can show us just how wrong we are.

We are loved and we are worth it. This is what God is trying to tell us. If we weren’t worth it, then he wouldn’t have sent his only son to be crucified. He wouldn’t have made Jesus a human, someone we could relate to. I don’t even think that God would have bothered creating Adam, let alone Eve, his companion. But he did. Because you are worth it.

So when you are feeling unworthy and unsuccessful, remember that God is not asking you to face the world alone. He is summoning you with open arms. Go to him.

Haven’t heard Reckless Love? Click here to hear my favorite version. (It’s okay to cry.)

Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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The Struggle is Real

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Trying to write this post, the struggle is real. I’ve sat down to these readings and this Google Doc three, four, five times already and still find myself struggling to find the right words. The. Struggle. Is. Real. Not just when it comes to this reflection, though.

Over the past few months, this saying and other variations of it have slipped their way into my everyday conversation and I know that I’m not alone. When we’re dragging without our coffee, when there’s too much on our plate, when we’re having a bad day, week or month, we admit that we’re struggling with a laugh and a wink. “Don’t worry, I’ll shake it off,” “Things will get better,”  “It’s gotta go up from here” and more. We’re afraid to show weakness, to show the depths of our struggles. I know that’s true for me.

When you find yourself in a situation like the one described above, how do you react? When someone approaches you and admits that they are struggling (even if it’s concealed in a joke), how do you respond?

More often than not, you find yourself relating to the person, even through the joke. Burdens, struggles, challenges, trials, etc. are all a natural part of human life. But how often do you offer your help to those in need? We often shy away, afraid that their problems will become our problems, adding to the burdens that are already present.

It’s the same when it comes to living a Christian life, where sin and struggle go hand in hand. We are ashamed of our sin and so we tend to hide not only from each other but from the Lord Himself. When we hide, Satan uses our shame against us. The king of lies takes our struggles, magnifies them and multiplies them, doing anything he can to keep us away from our God.

As Catholics, we commonly refer to our struggles as “crosses.” The difference is that we know the benefits and blessings that can come from carrying our cross. We look to the ultimate example – Jesus – as His Passion and death which led to the glory of His Resurrection and the salvation of all.

Today’s first reading from the Book of Hebrews gives us encouragement in our battles, advice and a reason to hope for the future. We are told to endure our trials as “discipline” (verse 7) “for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines” (verse 6). Through that discipline “brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it” (verse 11).

If we can allow the Lord to use our burdens, He can and will do wonderful things with them. Easier said than done, right? Absolutely. Remembering that our burdens don’t just magically disappear, if we allow Jesus to help us carry them, abundant blessings can be poured out in return.

Embrace the struggle, brothers and sisters. Admit that it is real and that we need help.

Erin is a Parma Heights, Ohio, native and a 2016 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She uses her communication arts degree in a couple of different ways: first, as an Athletic Communications Assistant at Baldwin Wallace University and, secondly, as a youth minister at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Although both of her jobs are on complete opposite spectrums, she truly enjoys being able to span the realm of communications. You can follow her on multiple Twitter accounts – @erinmadden2016 (personal), @bwathletics (work) and @HFVision (youth ministry).

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Talitha Koum

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“He took the child by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha koum,’ 
which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise!’ The girl, a child of twelve, arose immediately and walked around.”

The Gospel today tells the beautiful, vague, story of someone who may or may not have existed thousands of years ago and was healed from an ailment by medicine but she irrationally attributed it to the power of Jesus, who was just a good person that taught a lot of good things.

How often do we have this mindset when we read powerful verses like those in the readings today? I think because we see so much suffering and pain around us we automatically think that somehow Jesus either didn’t have the power we read about or it has dwindled dramatically due to the passing of time.

But take just a second and think about the past five years of your life. How many things have happened that couldn’t be a coincidence? How many graces and blessings have come out of even seemingly impossible or devastating circumstances? How often have you encountered people or situations which gave you hope when there felt like there was none. This could be as simple as someone paying for your meal in the drive-thru to something dramatic like physical healing.

I don’t think God’s power was exaggerated or has somehow dwindled with time, I just think we have forgotten how to listen for it and see Him work. You turn on the news and hear of the most devastating scenarios imaginable and it’s easy to believe that this is the state of the world. But the good moments that happen every day, the moments that bring hope and joy to the world, go largely unnoticed.

I was in a grocery store the other day and a nice man had some things on the counter and was one dollar short from what he needed to pay for his items. He decided he would have to put his pop back, even though he really wanted it. I told him I would pay the extra. You should have seen the look on his face as he turned to me and said, “Thank you, nice things like this just don’t happen anymore.” My immediate thought was to smile back and agree with him, but in a moment of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, I simply said, “Yeah they do. They just did.”

I don’t tell this story to lift myself up, it was just a dollar. I tell it because it’s a good reminder that our immediate reaction to the negativity in the world is to believe it is all there is. Jesus is still as powerful today as He was thousands of years ago. The question is, do we believe that? I challenge you to ask something great of God today. Reach out in faith and see the power that was witnessed in the Gospel so many years ago by a real crowd, who breathed real air, and had real human experiences. Turning the Gospels into cute little fiction stories does not do justice to the power of God. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

“You pay God a compliment by asking great things of Him.” St. Teresa of Avila.

Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

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What Have You to do with Me?

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There are 3 retellings of today’s Gospel;  Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39 and today’s reading, Mark 5:1-20. Nothing in the Bible is repeated without a purpose.

Summarizing the three, Jesus leaves Galilee (land of Jews) and crosses the sea to go to the opposite side, Gerasenes (land of pagans or Gentiles). On the way there, even nature itself seems to be preventing Jesus from making this journey and to the relief of his companions, Jesus wakes up and calms the sea with just a simple command. Now he arrives in this foreign territory and his first encounter is with a naked man possessed by demons. The man prostrates himself at Jesus’s feet and the demons ask, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

Let’s get this straight. Jesus leaves the Jewish land, taking with him Jewish men who followed Jewish law and goes to a Gentile land, which for devout Jews was a defilement all by itself. Once there, they meet a naked man, which would be shameful for any Jew. This naked man is wandering around the tombs and graves, again this would be a defilement for a Jew AND there are pigs in the area which are considered unclean for the Jews. To top all of this off, on the way there, even the very sea rises up to try and prevent them from making this trip.

Jesus knowingly chooses to take the disciples, not just out of their comfort zone but into places they considered inappropriate for any of God’s chosen people to go. When even the sea attempts to rise up and stop them, Jesus calms the turbulence of the wind and the waves by saying, “Quiet, Be still,” and nature obeys. Jesus steps out into an unclean land, greets an unclean man, and listens to him. The evil spirits within the man, instantly recognize Jesus for who he is and address him as, “Son of the Most High God.” The demons ask that Jesus not send them away but only to the swine feeding on the hillside. Jesus agrees and the evil spirits leave the man, enter the pigs and the pigs go running for the sea and drown. The men responsible for the herds of pigs go running back to town, telling what they have seen.

Somewhat surprisingly, the people from the town don’t come running for restitution or to complain that their herds of pigs are gone. Instead, they just ask Jesus to leave. Today’s reading says, “they beg him to leave their district.”

It is interesting too, that in the Liturgical Calendar, this reading comes on the heels of Epiphany and the Celebration of the Conversion of St. Paul. The three wise men were the first of the Gentiles to worship Jesus and recognize him as King. St. Paul, who by his own words was the most zealous of Jews, following his conversation becomes the Apostle to the Gentiles. In Scripture, between those two events, we have Jesus venturing out to the territories of the Gentiles to cast out demons.

We might paraphrase the demons’ question and ask, “What does this have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

When we say that we follow Jesus, it is sometimes easier to follow the platitudes and to stay within the confines of our comfort zones and be content with being a good person. Jesus shows us here that following him means following him out into the places where we aren’t comfortable, to be with people who our rules label shameful or unclean. The first reading from the letter to Hebrews lists our forefathers who lived lives outside the comfortable norm “in order to obtain a better resurrection.” We can expect that when we too live outside our societal norm, we too may endure mockery and torture. It may even seem that nature herself may rise up and try to stop us. But we follow the One who calms storms with a word. Even the evil we will meet along the way recognizes our God as the Most High and while they do not follow him, they know the Truth when they see it.

After the demons are cast out and Jesus is asked to leave, the man asks Jesus if he can come with him. Instead of taking him along, Jesus sends him back to his family to “announce all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” As we stretch and through grace begin to live outside ourselves, as we go out to our human family to listen and share what the Lord has done for us, we too will be able to cry with the Psalmist, “ How great is the goodness, O Lord, which you have in store for those who fear you”.

What is waiting for you just outside your comfort zone?

If you catch Sheryl sitting still, you are most likely to find her nose stuck in a book. It may be studying with her husband, Tom as he goes through Diaconate Formation, trying to stay one step ahead of her 5th and 6th-grade students at St Rose of Lima Catholic School or preparing for the teens she serves as Director of Youth Evangelization and Outreach in her parish collaborative. You can reach her through her through www.youthministrynacc.com.

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Purified in Unity

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Growing in faith can be pretty painful sometimes. Actually, it’s mostly painful. It’s not until we are transformed that we see why choosing to suffer with and for Christ is, in fact, the best way to live life.

It’s a lot like the purification of metal, as mentioned in the first reading. But, instead of throwing us into a furnace (with the exception of some saints), we are purified and refined by the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, which are always depicted with fire.

A priest friend gave me a prayer card for my fiancé and me to say in preparation for our vocation to marriage. It is called “The Unity Prayer”. Pretty appropriate for an engaged couple, right? Here’s how it goes:

May our feet journey together
May our hands gather in unity
May our hearts beat in unison
May our souls be in harmony
May our thoughts be as one
May our ears listen to the silence together
May our glances profoundly penetrate each other
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father.
Amen.

Spread the effect of grace of thy flame of love over all of humanity.

We say this prayer each night. And on the days when I give her good reason to be mad at me, it isn’t terribly “cute” to be saying this prayer; it’s actually pretty difficult. It requires the humility to choose the other person in spite of whatever good reason we have to be angry at them or even hurt by them.

That humility purifies and unites us.

The same applies for our relationship to God. It requires humility to acknowledge our sin and go to confession. We are being purified by that sacrament. That’s why it’s difficult and can be uncomfortable to make a good confession. But like silver and gold, we are made more beautiful and authentic by the flame of Love Himself.

Be humbled.
Be purified.
Be united to the Divine.

During the week, Matthew Juliano is a mentor for individuals who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. He has started a Youtube Series that explains and raises awareness about the work he does, which can be found HERE. On the weekends, he is a drummer for Full Armor Band. You can find more content by Matt and his band at www.fullarmorband.com.