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Disciples Making Disciples

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How often do we forget our call, our vocation, as Catholic Christians? We might get hung up on the word “vocation,” thinking that, “I’m living out my marriage/priesthood/religious life/single life, isn’t that enough?” No, it’s not enough. In fact, there’s so much more.

We all share a singular, universal mission: to go and make disciples of all nations. Today, on the Memorial of St. Paul Miki and his companions, we receive the very-needed reminder of our shared Baptismal call as we celebrate and honor one of the saints that best embraced this mission.

St. Paul Miki lived during a time of Christian persecution in Japan. A Jesuit known for his style of preaching, he was able to convert a great number of hearts to Catholicism. Meanwhile, the Japanese rulers became fearful of the growing influence of Catholicism and questioned their intentions, so beginning the widespread persecution. Paul Miki was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and sentenced to death for his “crimes.” Even hanging on a cross, he spent his final minutes preaching to those present for his execution. Once the time of persecution was over, missionaries arrived back in Japan during the late 1800s to find that Christians had hidden and preserved their faith. At the price of his life and knowing exactly his fate, St. Paul Miki truly embraced his Baptismal call as he made disciples all across Japan.

Thankfully, we here in the United States aren’t experiencing persecution like that seen in Japan during St. Paul Miki’s time, but that doesn’t mean our task of making disciples is any less difficult. We face different challenges, like those wanting and willing to discredit the Church for the sex abuse crisis, like the culture of death evident in abortion and like the suppression of all that is good and true in the media, especially when it comes to Christian values. I argue that this is when we need to be making disciples the most. And we may not be risking our lives but rather our reputation and wellbeing. How far are you willing to go to embrace the call to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”?

May we look to St. Paul Miki and his courage as we strive to live out our Baptismal call.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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A Lack of Faith

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“Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.’ So he was not able to perform any might deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:4-6)

In today’s Gospel reading we hear about how those that Jesus preached to in Nazareth dismissed Him because of knowing His family and origins, with Nazareth being home for Him. While looking at this passage I had to ask myself: how often do I dismiss what Christ says? 

I may think I know everything about Him, I have heard the teachings over and over, I have been a Christian my entire life, so therefore I just take His teachings for granted. Furthermore, when I take His teachings for granted I take Him for granted. Christ is a great gift to us – He is love, the Word, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd.

Rather than being lukewarm about my faith Christ has infinite teachings and love to reveal to us in every moment of every day. How do we get out of a rut of being lukewarm in our faith? According to the video series The Wild Goose by 4PM Media and Franciscan Pathways, hosted by Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR, we can ask the Holy Spirit to breathe life into us whenever we need. Something that seems so basic is so profound and invites God into our lives right where we are at. Rather than shutting Him out and relying on our own understanding we submit to His greatness and the Spirit will open our eyes to Christ and all He has for us.

I challenge you to invite the Holy Spirit into your life. As Fr. Pivonka says in The Wild Goose ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart, for Jesus to enter the way He did for the disciples at Pentecost. God will answer your prayer.

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  She loves to share her passion for Catholicism with others, including her conversion story and how God continues to work miracles in her life through her OCD. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at rodzinkaministry@gmail.com.

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Arise

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In the Gospel reading today, we hear of two miraculous occasions of healing. The story begins with a father seeking out Jesus for the healing of his daughter, who is at the point of death. Immediately, he falls at the feet of Jesus and states that if Jesus lays His hands on her, she will be healed and live. As Jesus goes with him, He travels among the crowds. A woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for 12 years had heard about Jesus and believed, “If I but touch his clothes, I shall be cured.” She reached out and touched His cloak and immediately was healed. Jesus asked who had touched his clothes, and the woman fell down before His feet and told him the whole truth. Jesus said to her, “Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction”. A man comes to tell the father that his daughter has passed away. Jesus assured him, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” He goes on to enter the house and tells his daughter, “Talitha Koum,” which means “Little girl, I say to you, arise!”. She arose immediately.

Throughout this Gospel, we encounter witnesses of great faith. The young girl’s father automatically proclaims great faith in seeking Jesus and believing He could heal his daughter. He most likely has never met Jesus before but has heard of him. He doesn’t come before Jesus with a lukewarm question of, “Can you try to heal my daughter?” No, He believes with his whole heart that He can do this. The same goes for the woman suffering from a hemorrhage, she had not met Jesus, but had heard of Him and believed in His power that even touching his cloak, she would be healed.

I was sharing with a friend about this Gospel, and we discussed, “Why doesn’t God do this still today?” We hear tons of tragedies that happen day in and day out. Why doesn’t Jesus just miraculously heal people now? Honestly, I’m sure there are many healings that have happened for people throughout the world, and it does still happen today. But why does God spare some and not others? I don’t know, but I believe we must hold to faith and trust like those in the Gospel today. Falling at the feet of Jesus with faith and trust, that those we have lost may arise too. That they arise to new life with Him, in the ultimate destination, life everlasting.

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Briana is the Pastoral Minister at St. Mark Church in Cleveland, OH. She is also a district manager at Arbonne. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH and is excited to use these skills to serve the Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Begging Jesus to Leave

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At first, today’s Gospel seems like a straightforward story of Jesus healing another person, freeing him from demonic possession and telling him to go and share his personal good news. But that’s just the surface. If we look deeper, we see the whole human drama of good and evil and freedom with Christ.

Let’s look first at the power of evil. The man is clearly possessed, and St. Mark describes the seriousness of his situation in some detail, so there is no doubt. And yet the devil does not have complete control, ever! In this case, the man is forced to prostrate himself before Jesus, the enemy begging to be left alone. When it is clear that Jesus means to free the man, the enemy is not then freed to roam at will; he must ask Jesus’ permission to enter the herd of swine! While the devil works with angelic intelligence and strength (which is greater than human intelligence and strength!), he is not all-powerful; the enemy can only operate within the parameters set by God Himself.

Let’s look next at how narrow the human perspective can be. The people of the town, who can see only the external details, are more concerned about the loss of the swine than the welfare of the previously suffering man. Hearing “what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine,” they see only the loss and not the gain, and they “began to beg him to leave their district.”

Let’s look at how Jesus operates within this struggle of good and evil. Jesus has supreme authority and power to free and heal and command demons. But Jesus also respects the gift of free will God has given to humanity, and never forces himself on anyone. When the Gerasenes beg him to leave, he gets into the boat and leaves. Free will is a powerful gift; we are always free to send him away.

What about the possessed man? He wanted to remain with Jesus, but Jesus gave him another task. He directed him to share his testimony, to be a witness. And he did, to the amazement of all who heard him. The Lord entrusts his work to us who have been blessed by Him!

What about us? An examination is always in order:

Are there areas in our lives in which we see only the surface, and are unable to see deeply and appreciate what God is doing?

Are there circumstances in which we are counting the cost but missing the deeper spiritual benefits?

Are there places within us that we have “fenced off” from Jesus because we are afraid of what he might demand of us, or ask us to change?

Are we ready and willing to share what God has done in our own lives so that others can know Him better?

Lord, give us light and strength so that we can SEE DEEPLY and remain open to Your saving power!

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father 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 https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

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The Tempest of Envy

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“We fight one another, and envy arms us against one another…. If everyone strives to unsettle the Body of Christ, where shall we end up? We are engaged in making Christ’s Body a corpse. We declare ourselves members of one and the same organism, yet we devour one another like beasts.”
-St. John Chrysostom, Hom. in 2 Cor. 27:3-4

In this month that has the Feast of St. Valentine, a celebration of love, we start the month reflecting on what happens when we allow envy into our lives. St. John Chrysostom doesn’t pull any punches. The Catechism tells us that envy can lead to the worst crimes. (CCC 2538) “Envy is a capital sin. It refers to the sadness at the sight of another’s goods and the immoderate desire to acquire them for oneself, even unjustly.”

In the first reading, David, who was so beloved of God that David says to God, “Keep me as the apple of your eye,” (Ps 17:8), this same David has messed up. Big time. It isn’t just that he took Uriah’s wife. (Although that is bad enough.) The taking of Uriah’s wife is the symptom of a graver evil happening in David’s heart.

David, who started life as the youngest son in a family of boys, shepherd of the family’s sheep, is called by God to be the king of the Jewish people. He is to be a king in God’s own image, the apple of God’s eye.

The God, who created all the world out of love and to love in return, created David to rule His chosen people. But King David, who already had multiple wives, looks upon another man’s wife. He forgets about love. He neglects to see her as God created her. He neglects to see her as a woman joined to another man. David sees her as an object to be desired. He wants her physically, brazenly, brokenly. Because he is the king, David uses his God-given role to bring her to his side. He indulges his desires, and she gets pregnant. David attempts to cover it up by calling home Uriah, and when that plan fails, he has Uriah killed.

In today’s readings, Nathan calls David out. David may think he has manipulated the situation and gotten what he desired, but he has forgotten the earlier desires of his heart, to serve God and to do God’s will, to be God’s beloved.

David has committed the same sin as Adam and Eve. He has given in to envy and tried to follow his own plan. Adam and Eve and then David lost trust in God’s benevolence. They thought they knew better. Seeing what they didn’t have and couldn’t have, they desired it. They experienced envy. “Through the devil’s envy death entered the world.” (Wisdom 2:24) St. Augustine saw envy as “the diabolical sin”. (CCC 2539) “From envy are born hatred, detraction, calumny, joy caused by the misfortune of a neighbor, and displeasure caused by his prosperity.” When we allow envy to take root in our life, we give hatred and all its dark companions the opportunity to take root in our hearts.

How do we strive to end this envy? How do we end the fighting and dismembering of the Body of Christ?

We can find one answer in the Gospel reading. Jesus asks the disciples to cross the sea, and then he goes to sleep in the boat. In the meantime, a squall comes up, and the disciples begin to fear for their lives. Were they envious of Jesus peacefully sleeping in the midst of the storm? They wake him up and ask if he even cares they are perishing! Jesus calms the sea and asks them if they do not yet have faith.

“The time of the Christian is that of the risen Christ who is with us always, no matter what tempests may arise.” (CCC 2743) Sometimes the tempests are literal storms that wreak havoc on our homes and carefully ordered lives. Sometimes the tempests are troubles that come upon us unbidden such an injury or loss. Sometimes the tempests are our own unbridled passions, as when we allow envy to have control of our thoughts and our hearts.

So what do we do? We persevere in love and prayer. As we persevere in prayer, we move into a position of trust, and we open ourselves up so that God can work miracles in our lives. The genealogy of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew establishes Jesus as the Son of David, Son of Abraham. In a culture where family ties pass through the father, there are four women mentioned in Jesus’s family tree, and one of them is Uriah’s wife. When we have faith and trust that God is present even in the tempests, God can bring about great things. We can look at others and share in their joys and their sorrows without getting bogged down in comparisons.

Prayer and the Christian life are inseparable, for they concern the same love. Through prayer and living the Christian life, we cooperate with the Father’s plan of love and the Holy Spirit, who conforms us more and more to Jesus Christ until we have the same love for all men; the love with which Jesus loved us. (CCC 2745) So when you find envy creeping in, pray, pray, pray, and don’t stop.

Let’s end as we began, with St. John Chrysostom: “It is possible to offer fervent prayer even while walking in public or strolling along, or seated in your shop,… while buying and selling, …or even while cooking.”

Wherever you are today, here’s to prayer and trusting God’s presence in the tempest.

Amen.

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Sheryl delights in being the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process whether it is studying for classes, deepening their prayer life or discovering new ways to serve together. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Brea, a Bernese Mountain dog and Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever.

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What Keeps You Up At Night?

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Three o’clock. That’s when they usually come, the gremlins that wake me from my sleep and dance around my bed, reminding me of all the things I don’t want to think about. Three o’clock in the morning, and the beautiful wide world has shrunk to this small room and all the voices from my past echoing off its walls.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not a terrible person, not in the great scheme of things. I’ve never murdered or stolen or done any of the offenses that society judges as dire; but then again, I have a different judge, don’t I? And at three o’clock, the judgment is pretty grim.

I have on occasion not only hurt someone, but hurt them deliberately. I have failed to listen, to reach out, to be as compassionate as I’m called to be. I’ve missed opportunities to bring the Good News of Christ to someone when those opportunities have presented themselves. I’ve been selfish, vain, and short-sighted. Most of the time I balance all this with the times I have been kind, have gone out of my way to help others, have taken a stand. But not at three o’clock. Only the bad memories, the failures, the transgressions appear at three o’clock.

When I looked up today’s readings, I winced. Oh, no: the story of David and Bathsheba and Uriah. I don’t like this story. I want God’s chosen leader to be a good man, a man I can admire and respect, a man of principle and conscience, and instead I see someone willing to kill another human being just so he can essentially take that man’s wife. I’ll write about the Gospel instead, I decided; the parable of the mustard seed is far easier to get behind.

But as I thought about it, I realized God has so much to teach us through this story, and maybe if I’m a little less judgmental I might be able to listen to it—and hear something. The lesson starts in the first few lines: the spring has come, and it’s time to go to war. David’s whole past has been military, ever since as a teenager he killed a giant of a man and secured his fame; but this spring, instead of leading his troops, he sends them out without him. Maybe he was feeling lazy. Maybe it doesn’t matter what he was feeling. I’m the king; I can do whatever I like. But leading his men was his responsibility, and one of the first steps we take away from God is when we shrug off our responsibilities. It’s been said that 80% of life is just showing up, and this spring, David didn’t show up. My middle-of-the-night gremlins are quick to remind me of all the times I haven’t shown up, too. Made excuses; made rationalizations. I’m tired; I’m busy; I can do whatever I like. So far, this story is hitting very close to home.

Despite having been cautioned against it in Deuteronomy, David has also catered to his more carnal side. After a teenage marriage that failed, he started marrying—and also not marrying—quite a substantial number of women. So it’s little surprise that when he watches Bathsheba taking advantage of the coolness of the evening to bathe, he decides he wants her, too; and what the king wants, the king gets.

I’ve also indulged some of my whims. Money that could have gone to help people in dire need has been spent on things I wanted: books, clothing, gadgets, oh and did I mention books? I didn’t need any of it; but I catered to my desires anyway. Don’t be so quick to judge David, the gremlins whisper.

Bathsheba didn’t have much recourse. She’s often cast as a temptress, but it’s hard for me to see her at fault here. The king sends for you; you go. There were a number of possible solutions to this problem that wouldn’t have involved killing anyone, but David’s first thought is to send Uriah into battle—the battle he himself couldn’t be bothered to fight—and make sure he’s killed.

He went for the easiest, most immediate solution. He didn’t take time to think about it, pray about it, get advice. And it’s times like that when my impulses have gotten me into trouble, too. When I’ve panicked and looked for the quick and easy way out. When thoughtful consideration and prayer would have shown me a better solution.

Today’s reading ends with Uriah’s murder. But the untold part of the story, I think, is the most important: David finally got it. He realized the magnitude of what he’d been doing. He became estranged from God and depressed. He later wrote three psalms describing those months out of fellowship with God: Psalms 32, 38 and 51. Read them, and you’ll realize how deeply he got it. He, too, had gremlins haunting him at night.

That brings us to the happy certainty of forgiveness. David will finally acknowledge his sin. His spirit was broken; his heart was contrite. And as a result, he will hear the sweetest, most beautiful, most reassuring, most encouraging words known to humanity: “The Lord has removed your sin” (2 Sam. 12:13).

My gremlins are still there, because I’m a lot slower to forgive myself than God is. I remember once going to confession; at the end, the priest said, “You’re all set.” I loved that phrase and remind myself of it when memories and sadness and fear keep me up at night. You’re all set; the Lord has removed your sin.

 And I pray to be able to take God at his word. To tell the gremlins: You can go away now.

Like everything else in life, that’s a work in progress.

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Jeannette de Beauvoir is a writer and editor with the digital department of Pauline Books & Media, working on projects as disparate as newsletters, book clubs, ebooks, and retreats that support the apostolate of the Daughters of St. Paul at http://www.pauline.org.

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Let Your Little Light Shine

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Today’s Gospel Reading always reminds me of the song “This Little Light of Mine” that many of us learned as children. Jesus seems to be using a bit of sarcasm here. ‘Seriously, people, you have this amazing truth within you, and you’re just going to hide it away?’ (“Hide it under a bushel, NO!”) Place it on a lampstand! Proclaim it to the world! (“Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!”)

As I was praying the USCCB’s novena, “9 Days For Life” this past week, I came across this simple line: “Smile. Ask God today for the grace to be extra joyful and to share the light of Christ with those most in need of His love and mercy.” Such a simple concept but something as small as a smile can make a difference in someone’s day. When we bite our tongue instead of letting that negative comment slip, when we compliment instead of criticizing, we are making our world a better place, one “little light” at a time.

Jesus goes on to say, “Take care what you hear.”
“Whatever goes in must come out” does not only refer to our digestive system, but to our brains as well. The movies and shows we watch, the podcasts and music we listen to, and the news and blogs we read all impact our thoughts, words and actions. It is increasingly easy to become so overwhelmed by information, albeit, most of it negative, that we find ourselves becoming negative as well. The latest winter weather advisory fills us with worry. The latest conflict overseas fills us with anxiety. The latest tragedy fills us with sorrow. The latest injustice fills us with anger…

Where is the light in all of this? Where is our smile? It appears that the most logical solution is to do exactly what Jesus says: “Take care what you hear.” Do we really need to know Congress’s every move, or could we rather pay more focused attention to the needs of those around us each and every day? Do we really need to watch the newest war movie that is all the rage, or could we rather be more attentive to the war raging within our very being, inviting us to leave our unnecessary desires aside and deepen our relationship with our loving God instead?

Each and every time we make that effort to be more Christ-like, to go the extra mile to be kind, to not join in the gossip, to make a sacrifice for the good of another, we are promised ample reward. “The measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still more will be given to you.” In other words, God will not be outdone in generosity. You give an inch and He gives you a mile.

So let’s keep that beautifully simple song running through minds and hearts today. May our little lights shine so as to brighten the lives of those around us.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Everything is Grace

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The Parable of the Sower has always seemed pretty straightforward. If you sow your seeds in the right place, you were in for a good harvest. Let them scatter to the roadway, or on rocks, or where thorns grow, and not so much.

Not being a farmer, I have been inclined to think the soil is at fault here. But reading the church fathers on the parable, they thought differently. The disposition of the soil, whether it’s rocky or on the roadway, is determined by grace. Our redemption is by God’s grace, and the seed even falling on one of the soils is the first act of grace in an individual’s heart.

In the first reading, Nathan has a word from the Lord for David, who can show us how God’s word–the sower’s seeds work in one man. Will David’s heart be the thoroughfare, the rocky soil, or the thorns?

David wants to build a temple, but God says no, it’s not his calling. Nathan recounts how God had worked in David’s life. He took him from the pasture, went with him through all of his battles, and now would give him rest. David did not need to build God a house, that house would be built by David’s heir, God’s true Son.

The fruit that God raises up in David didn’t spring up instantly–it was the product of years of following the God of Israel. In some of those times, his heart was fertile soil, as when he was Israel’s champion against the Philistines and killed the blasphemous Goliath. He would not usurp Saul, who was God’s anointed king. But his heart was not fertile soil for God’s grace when he took Bathsheba and had Uriah killed. Yet God still sends his grace, and David repents when confronted with his sin.

The workings of grace are a mystery. We can only know that God is gracious and loves us and is merciful toward us. Let’s ask him to keep us in his grace, so that we will bear fruit for him.

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Pamela joined Diocesan’s staff in 2006, after a number of years in the non-profit sector. Her experience is in non-profit administration including management, finance, and program development, along with database management and communications. She was a catechist in her parish RCIA program for over 15 years, as well as chairperson of their Liturgy Commision. Received into the Catholic Church as an adult, Pamela’s faith formation was influenced by her Mennonite extended family, her Baptist childhood, and her years as a Reformed Presbyterian (think Scott Hahn).

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Family? What Family?

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If your mother was seeking you, came looking for you, sent word that she was outside waiting for you, your response would be anything but, “Who is my mother?” as if you had never met her. Yet that is how Jesus responds when he receives word that his mother and relatives are waiting outside for him: “Who are my mother and my brothers?”

This is certainly not because Jesus doesn’t know his mother, or disrespects her in any way. On the contrary, he knows Mary better than anyone ever can, his relationship with her is closer than anyone else’s, and he loves her more deeply than anyone ever will!

But Jesus never misses an opportunity to teach what the Kingdom is about and what his Heart desires; so, when informed that his family is looking for him, he takes the opportunity to say something startling: Family? You are my family. We are ALL called to be known and loved by him, to live in close relationship with him, to be members of the very family of God. Jesus tells us that “whoever does the will of God” enters into this relationship of love and belongs to this family. We, whose sins are responsible for nailing Jesus to the Cross, are invited into intimate relationship with him. If we are committed to the will of God, sinful as we are, we are loved by Jesus as much as his own mother!

In a way, Jesus is pointing to the truth that Mary is beloved not just because she is his biological mother, but because she did the will of God in loving obedience; she is the first disciple, the one who believed, whose loving and obedient “yes” made the Incarnation possible. By looking to Mary, we can see the whole mystery of our redemption, from the Son’s conception in her womb to our own conception in the womb of Mother Church, “until Christ be fully formed in us” (Gal. 4:19).

Mary encountered the Word of God, accepted it, assented to it, and never wavered, all the way to the Cross and beyond. Her whole life is summed up in her words at the Annunciation: “I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).  Later, Jesus taught us to pray: “Thy will be done” (Matt. 6:10).

When we keep God’s commandments, we are loving Him (2 John 1:6, 1 John 5:3), but love is more than outward obedience; love is encounter, relationship, and union. Jesus tells us that if we do the will of God and not our own, we will know him and walk with him as closely as Mary and his relatives did. We are made BY Love, made TO love, made FOR Love. In keeping the commandments of love, we find the One Who IS Love, and our hearts and wills are one with His. This is the profound communion Jesus desires for each of us, right here, right now!

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father 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 https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

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Our Strength is in our Unity

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So often we have heard the phrase “A house divided cannot stand.” The exact words from today’s Gospel are, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” The key to understanding Jesus’ words is unity. There is strength in a united front and only weakness in a divided effort for anything.

Jesus is telling us that the scribes who accused him of being possessed by the devil were so stupid and so wrong. How can Jesus, if a devil himself, cast out devils and defeat the devil’s own purposes? He cannot. “And if Satan has risen against himself and is divided, he cannot stand; that is the end of him.”

Today’s culture is divided on so many fronts, and it is a wonder we are still functioning. Well, we are barely functioning. So how do we remedy the situation? By standing firm in the principles of Jesus’ teaching in the face of any contradiction, and not give in just because it is easier to cope.

Jesus came to unite us to a common way of life. That way is love for one another and ourselves. We love and are joined with all people by affirming that all people are inherently good. Those of us who cannot recognize goodness and only see evil, are the instruments of the devil’s attempt to separate us from one another.

Ultimately, the followers of Jesus will gather together in the strength of their conviction to his teaching and form a solid front, a strong team that will dispel sin. But the followers of Satan will weaken and scatter, because evil, in any form, does not stand on firm ground. The foundation of Satan’s house will eventually succumb to the strength of those of us who refuse to weaken resolve to goodness. Following Satan leads to death: the eventual loss of the soul. Following Jesus leads to life: our ultimate unity with God in the everlasting, undivided kingdom of heaven.

“Our Savior, Jesus Christ, has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel.”

God Bless.

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Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager at Diocesan, is a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. Jeanne has worked in parish ministry as an RCIA director, in Liturgy, and as a Cantor. Working word puzzles and reading fill her spare time. Jeanne can be reached at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.