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Fair vs Just

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Even in the time of Jesus there was tension between what was “fair” and what was “just”. Usually, today or way back when, a situation is considered “fair” when things are perceived as equal – by you. Everyone has the same number of cookies. Each player gets the same number of turns in the game. In these two examples, the perception of fairness would most likely be shared by all the individuals. They are just as well – each person received what was due to them. 

Justice, what is due to you in order to make right or continue in right relationship, and fairness, being in accordance to the rules and equity, are often used interchangeably. However, as you can see, while they are related terms they do not mean the same things. Our Gospel parable today illustrates how God deals with justice and fairness. 

Jesus tells the parable of the landowner who goes out to hire workers at various times of the day. The landowner tells each worker that he will be paid “what is just.” At the end of the day, the workers who worked the least received a full wage. This continues to those who worked the full day. Here’s where knowing the definitions would have been helpful. From their perspective, it was not “fair” that they received the same amount. The work to pay ratio was not equal for all parties. 

But the landowner aka God, did not promise what was fair. He promised what was just. God desires for us to be in right relationship with Him. Whether this relationship happens in the early days of our childhood, or in the final moments of our life. God’s graces are not better for those who followed His path longer. He does not love them more or less. What’s more, God will not stop seeking after us. Like the landowner, God reaches out for us, continually offering us the means to be in right relationship with Him. 

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Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at DailyGraces.net.

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Give up my stuff?

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Is Jesus asking us to renounce all our worldly goods? Maybe. Jesus suggests the ideal, give up house and family and land for his name. He certainly would like us to be less attached to them in return for the promise of eternal life. Jesus wants us to know the ideal and do our best to live it out. And we live it out in the world, with families and jobs and things we need and use. How do we use our worldly goods? Do we take care of them and keep them in their proper place? For example, when it’s time to consider purchasing a new car do you want the latest and greatest model with all the possible upgrades, never considering purchasing an older or used model? 

Or how about that smartphone? Is it traded in every time you can upgrade, or do you use it until it is necessary to purchase a new one?

Let’s face it, we live in a world where consumerism can be a way of life and this will not help us get to heaven. St. Ignatius taught frequently about detachment, not only from things but from desiring specific outcomes. In the Spiritual Exercises, he offers these thoughts, “I desire and choose poverty with Christ poor rather than wealth; contempt with Christ laden with it rather than honors. Even further, I desire to be regarded as a useless fool for Christ, who before me was regarded as such, rather than as a wise or prudent person in this world.” (Spiritual Exercises #167)

St. Ignatius was not the only saint to suggest we give up the trappings of the world; St. Francis of Assisi, St. Clare, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Maximillian Kolbe – the list is really endless, since all saints give up themselves for the greater good of the glory of God.

This is the question this Gospel raises in me; am I holding on so tightly to my things, my needs, my desires that I am missing what God wants to give me? Consider that as you go about your day and see what happens. And, if you’d like to chat about it, email me.

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Deanna G. Bartalini, is a Catholic writer, speaker, educator and retreat leader. She is the founder of the LiveNotLukewarm.com community, a place to inform, engage and inspire your Catholic faith through interactive Bible studies, courses and book clubs. Her weekly podcast, NotLukewarmPodcast.com, gives you tips and tools to live out your faith. At DeannaBartalini.com  she writes about whatever is on her mind at the moment.

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No Minced Words

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There are definitely no minced words in today’s readings. The children of Israel began serving other gods, so the Lord got angry with them and allowed them to suffer disastrous consequences.

In the Gospel, a young man asks what more he can do and Jesus tells Him to give up everything and follow Him. Jesus does not congratulate him for following the commandments, nor does He say, “Oh alright, you are already such a good guy, you win a free ticket to heaven!” 

No, Jesus speaks the truth in justice. Sometimes what He says is not such music to our ears. Sometimes it is more like a clashing gong. 

Yet we know that his promises are true. We know that what He says, what He asks us to do, is for our own good, for our own ultimate good, for our eternal salvation. 

As parents, we often have to tell our children what they do not want to hear. We often have to limit sweets, screen time, and other “fun” things in order to teach them self-control and how to take care of themselves. We have to show them how to take turns with their siblings, how to share, how to conduct themselves with good manners, etc. None of this is easy for them to hear. Much of it probably does not sound fair. And if they do not obey, they too have consequences. 

Yet as they grow, they also realize that what we have attempted to teach them in these not so pleasant moments is ultimately for their own good as well. They may rebel as the children of Israel did, or they may think they are already good enough as the man in the Gospel did. In the end, only God is their judge. 

Today, let us ask God not to mince words with us but to tell us directly what more we should do to love and serve Him more fully, more completely and more purely.

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Tami Urcia 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 kiddos occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at her parish, 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 over 20 years.

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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our Mother has so many names which we can use to relate to her. This starts in the First Reading with the “Ark of the Covenant”. St. Ireneaus, a follower of St. Ignatius who is believed to have learned from St. John himself, is thought to have introduced this title, which ties in so much of the Christocentric nature of how the story of Salvation ties together from the Old to the New Testament.

The imagery used in Revelation can be very difficult to understand but perhaps one of the most common beliefs of this book is that the woman being referred to is our mother Mary, who also represents a model for the Church. Psalm 45 is a testimony to the interconnectedness of the King and Queen, the Queen in the Old Testament generally referring to that of the King’s mother. As Jesus exemplified the importance of the Servant King, His mother takes her seat on the throne by perfectly following his teachings.

It is so comforting that we can turn to Mary at any time, asking her to go to her Son for intercession. 1 Corinthians 15 then notes “For just as in Adam all die, so too in Christ shall all be brought to life”.

Similarly, another title of Mary is the “New Eve”, reminding us that, it is through her actions in saying “Yes” to God that death is overcome. Mary’s life is a testament to giving her all to God, through never desiring anything of herself. Her steadfastness is awe-inspiring.

Finally, like so many moments in the Gospels, the scene of the visitation is such a powerful and yet humbling moment. Imagine these two women being so genuinely happy for each other, and for the world. They display the significance of putting others before themselves. Isn’t this what God has asked of us, to love and serve one another? In Mary’s Magnificat, she gives praise where it is due: God’s goodness is that He remembers the lowly. He loves us despite our weaknesses.

Let us strive today to always try to follow in Mary’s likeness, for no human has ever been so close to our Lord and Savior as our Blessed Mother.

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Dr. Alexis Dallara-Marsh is a board-certified neurologist who practices in Bergen County, NJ. She is a wife to her best friend, Akeem, and a mother of two little ones on Earth and two others in heaven above.

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Misericordia

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“For I will re-establish my covenant with you” (Ezekial 16:62).

God is so good! He is so righteous, so wondrous, so powerful, so awesome… and so merciful! The last month, as I have been digging deeper into what baptism in the Holy Spirit means, I have just been overcome and undone by God’s everlasting mercy. 

Just yesterday, I was sharing with my mother that I went to Spanish Mass and encountered a word I had heard before but never known. Misericordia. The root of the Latin word is “misery” and “heart”. What a beautiful image of what mercy means, to share and have a heart for the misery of the world. Even now, I am crying at the weight of the word, the weight of God’s heart, crying over us again and again. 

I once heard a conference speaker say, “It is not that we are worthy of His goodness, we could never be, but it is that He is so good, that He gifts it to us, asking only that we have a relationship with Him in return.” How true this is. We are never asked to strive for worthiness or perfection, because God knows that we are human. Instead, we are asked to strive for sharing mercy, sharing hope, sharing love, and sharing the Word of God, because God is love. We are called to be holy people made in the image and likeness of a merciful, beautiful God. 

How do we do this? We show mercy, no matter what. 

Jesus, we plead your precious blood,

poured out for our sins without demands.

We implore you to teach us your mercy each time we sit in Mass,

each time you give yourself so freely for our sins.

We ask for your example of unending love.

Teach us to love others without selfishness,

even when we may be wronged in ways so tiny, compared to your cross. 

Teach us to come to you when we feel too weak to show mercy.

Remind us of your unending, undying love for us.

Amen.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Pennsylvania. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various Catholic articles in bulletins, newspapers, e-newsletters, and blogs. She continued sharing her faith after graduation as a web content strategist and digital project manager. Today, she continues this mission in her current role as communications director and project manager for Pentecost Today USA, a Catholic Charismatic Renewal organization in Pittsburgh. 

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Mirroring the Trinity

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There simply isn’t enough time to meditate on our Gospel today. Pope Saint John Paul II spent weeks meditating on it, as it was one of the critical inspirations for his Theology of the Body. He notices the gravity with which Jesus says “in the beginning it was not so,” and begins to wonder, “What is it about the beginning that makes it so significant?”.

His early reflections culminated in the realization of the “spousal meaning of the body.” This phrase, central to John Paul’s reflections, is hard to define succinctly, but we can get close. The body reveals the person. It is a window into the person, revealing his thoughts, feelings, personality, and ultimately his identity. In the beginning, that is, in Eden, this was transparent. The moment Adam saw Eve, it was clear that she was a person like him, and that she was extraordinarily beautiful. They were able to be naked without shame together, truly seeing the other as a gift.

This is the core of the spousal meaning of the body: having been created as a gift from God, we are meant to imitate His Trinitarian life of infinite love. Through our bodies, we reflect the Creator, and through our sexuality we reflect His boundless gift. In our relationships with others, in our bodily life, we are meant to express this total gift, ultimately through our sexuality. We ought to carry forth God’s love, and this comes prewritten in our bodies.

This provides the context for Jesus’ words in today’s Gospel. In the beginning, marriage was the flowering of this spousal meaning of the body, the ultimate expression of self-gift through sexuality, imaging God’s Trinitarian communion of love. This is still what marriage is. With God’s grace, marriage today lives up to this original state of unity and innocence.

Still, Jesus does not deny the disciples’ words when they point out that it is better not to marry. He points out that not all can accept this, but only those to whom it has been given. Saint Paul speaks similarly in 1 Corinthians 7:7, saying that “each has a particular gift from God.” Some are called to marriage, and some to continence for the kingdom.

We can see why this is. In marriage, spouses live out the spousal meaning of the body in a natural and direct way. Through the very sexuality which speaks of self-gift, they give themselves completely to another in a comprehensive (psychological and physical) union, becoming one flesh.

In the priesthood and consecrated virginity, men and women live out the spousal meaning of the body in a supernatural, indirect way. They express the same impulse toward self-gift, but give themselves entirely to their heavenly spouse. Both Christ here and Saint Paul in 1 Corinthians 7 call this the higher calling, since it mirrors life in heaven, when we will give ourselves entirely to be God and no longer be married.

As mentioned, each has his own gift from God. The superiority of continence for the kingdom is not meant to downplay the beauty of marriage, but it is something to give thanks for. God calls specific men and women to consecrated celibacy, and he gives the grace for them to reflect His Son’s life as a virgin dedicated to the kingdom. He also prepares specific men and women for holy marriage, giving the grace to maintain a one-flesh union that reflects the boundless love of the Trinity.

In both cases, we have reason to give thanks, reflecting the praise of God echoed in both our First Reading and Psalm. It all comes from the Lord, Who does the work and wins the fight for us. We need only to trust Him, cooperate, and be grateful.

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David Dashiell is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. His writing has been featured in Crisis Magazine and The Imaginative Conservative, and his editing is done for a variety of publishers, such as Sophia Institute and Scepter. He can be reached at ddashiellwork@gmail.com.

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Repetitive Forgiveness

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**Due to server issues, this post was not published on 8/12/21, so we are posting it now.**

Today I am scheduled for a repeat C-section. As I write, I don’t know if I will go into labor early or be lying in a hospital bed as you read this, but the miracle is the same. I will be holding our first baby girl in just a short time. As a mother, those last few weeks are grueling in so many ways. Not only is my body just “done” with being pregnant as I experience the aches and pains associated with a watermelon-size bowling ball in my abdomen, but the anticipation alone is tough to ride out. There are nerves, a little fear, and the overwhelming joy at welcoming new life into the family.

Sometimes it seems that the children of those of us with big families get lost in the crowd. “Oh, there they go again! They just had ANOTHER one! How many do they have now? I can’t remember…” Yet each life is so precious and God knows us each by name.

With four boys at home, I am hoping this little one will be a calming factor in our active, rough and tumble household. I am hoping they will learn to treat her gently and treat each other more gently in the process. Barely a day goes by without one of them getting an “owie”, usually because they are chasing each other or disagreeing about something.

So I find myself repeating over and over again: “Say sorry to your brother.” It is often hard for them to eek out that one simple word. And sometimes it’s even harder for the one receiving it to say, “that’s okay”.  

Yet in our Gospel today we hear Peter ask that difficult question: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him?” And Jesus goes on to answer “seventy-seven times”. In other words, as many times as necessary.

How do we instill that in our children? How can I teach my boys to forgive over and over and over as Jesus would? How will I teach my daughter?

We can lead by example. My husband and I make our fair share of mistakes as well and we ask for forgiveness from our children for misunderstanding them. When we ask for forgiveness and tell them we’re sorry, perhaps it helps them to do the same with their brothers a bit more easily.

So whether the offense be big or small, we are called to imitate Christ in pardoning our brothers and sisters. Will we forgive them seven times or seventy-seven times? May God grant us the grace to do the latter. 

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Tami Urcia 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 her parish, 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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Making Him Known

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**Due to server issues, this post was not published on 8/11/21, so we are posting it now.**

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” 

I cannot help but reflect on this line from today’s Gospel in light of how I spent the past week. I had the immense blessing of accompanying a local youth group (not even my own youth group, but that’s a different story for another time) as a chaperone for their week-long mission trip in the mountains of Tennessee. I could go on and on about my experience but I just wish to offer a few short thoughts for all of you. 

Our group was small but mighty – five teens and two adult chaperones. That’s it. There were no other groups spending the week with us either. But wait, there’s more. Our group was split in half and sent to two different job sites every day: one group of four people and another group of three. Everywhere we went, Christ was with us despite our small numbers and it was evident in the work that we did and the way we spent our week. 

A good portion of our mission trip was spent doing construction work, specifically building a ramp off of a lady’s deck. The first day that my group was on the construction site, we were blessed to spend 1.5 hours talking to the lady we were serving. We talked about a number of different things – she shared about the area of Tennessee we were in, we shared some of our experiences back home, etc. In the middle of our conversation, she stops mid-sentence and says, “You guys make me want to become Catholic.”

We hadn’t mentioned our Catholic faith to her or talked expressly about our beliefs. Yet she could still tell we were Catholic by our presence at her home, by our words and by our actions. Christ was certainly present with the five of us that day in that moment and He made His presence known!

Shouldn’t it always be that way, though? Shouldn’t people be able to tell that we are Catholics by the way we go about our lives each day? We shouldn’t have to put “Catholic” in our social media bios (#whoops, my bad) or say the words, “I’m a Catholic” for people to know who we are and in Whom we believe. 

My brothers and sisters, let’s take a good, hard look at our lives and question whether or not others would be able to tell we are Catholics. Let us make sure that Christ is present wherever we may go and that we can make His presence known to others by our lives. 

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Erin Madden is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter@erinmadden2016.

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St. Lawrence

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**Due to server issues, this post was not published on 8/10/21, so we are posting it now.**

“This side is done. Turn me over and take a bite.” 

My amazing husband is an incredible cook. When he used to compete competitively for BBQ, a picture of St. Lawrence always accompanied us. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of Rome who was martyred until the persecution by the Roman Emperor Valerian. It is reported that St. Lawrence was put to death on a gridiron and told his torturers, “This side is done. Turn me over and take a bite.” 

While the odds of any of us being martyred on a gridiron are pretty low. The need for martyrs is no less and today’s Gospel guides us in how to lay down our lives every single day. We may not die a martyr’s death, but we can offer up our daily lives. If we choose daily, to die to ourselves, to move beyond our preferences and the things of this world which bring us a sense of comfort and security, our lives will produce much fruit by drawing others to God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.  

Jesus tells us straight out, that whoever loves his life will lose it. In Corinthians we hear, “Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” When I offer up my place in line, when I give the driver next to me the right of way, when that parishioner who always sings off key sits behind me at Mass, do I give up my wants and preferences cheerfully? When that one person who drives me nuts at work asks me a favor, do I do it as happily as I would for others? 

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will also my servant be.” 

We follow St. Lawrence’s example when we offer up all those little irritations and cheerfully say, “Lord, I follow you.” 

This side is done, Lord, turn me over and give me another chance to offer myself up to you! 

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Sheryl O’Connor 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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God’s Will

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In today’s First Reading, there was one thing that stood out to me. In my daily readings, I highlighted “For the Lord, your God, […] has no favorites [and] accepts no bribes” (Deuteronomy 10:17). 

This struck me at first because, really, how often do we try to bribe God? I certainly don’t! …right? Then I realized that it was pretty often that I had, in my own life, said,  “Lord, if you do this for me, then I will do this for you” and then gotten upset when it didn’t happen. We think, “Of course God wants me to go to Mass every Sunday, so why wouldn’t he heal me.” We try so often to bend God’s will into our will.

Last weekend, I met a man named Roman who asked me if I knew God’s will. I replied, “No, but I am always trying to figure it out.” Roman asked me how I did this. How did I even know where to start? How could I possibly distinguish God’s will from my own? I thought about this for a moment, then told him that while I don’t have it all figured out, I believe it first requires a relationship with God. That means kneeling in prayer, standing and jumping in praise, and sitting in silence with the Lord. I told Roman that a healthy relationship requires constant conversation, that it required sacrifice that would always come from a place of selfless love, and a relationship with the Lord, Our Father, was no different in that regard. 

Then he asked me, “How do you know when it’s selfish instead of selfless?” I immediately had a flashback of the last time I had to stop and be brutally honest with myself. It wasn’t easy. It didn’t come naturally. I even remember trying to justify my behavior and convince God that my will was technically in line with His will. Spoiler, it wasn’t. It was just me trying to bribe God with technicalities and I knew it. So I prayed. I prayed for discernment to recognize and reject the world and then to accept God’s will into my life, even in the smallest of decisions. Then, in reading Scripture, I read a passage that spoke so clearly to me. “But the wisdom from above is pure, then peaceful, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). 

I shared this with the man and we ended our conversation with prayer, but his words continue to stick with me, “How do you distinguish God’s will from your own?” I pose this question to you and go even further to ask, “Do you even try to distinguish God’s will from your own?” If the answer is no, that’s okay! Today is a great day to start.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Pennsylvania. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various Catholic articles in bulletins, newspapers, e-newsletters, and blogs. She continued sharing her faith after graduation as a web content strategist and digital project manager. Today, she continues this mission in her current role as communications director and project manager for Pentecost Today USA, a Catholic Charismatic Renewal organization in Pittsburgh. 

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