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Suffering for Christ

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The First Reading today seems to make the bold claim that somehow the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus was not enough for the sins of mankind. Of course, this is not what St. Paul is claiming, but it is very important to unpack this verse and see what he is trying to proclaim. 

Is Jesus’ suffering somehow lacking for the sins of mankind? The answer is a bold no. What Christ did on the cross redeems us fully and completely. Nothing is lacking in the sacrifice of the cross when it comes to redeeming us and forgiving us of sin. 

So what are we to make of the First Reading? The most common interpretation of this passage is that Paul is saying God uses us and our own suffering, to bring others into the saving power of his love. Think about it, if someone has rejected God, then it may be our witness, our prayers, our own suffering, that is the nudge that may bring them back into communion with God. 

This is what St. Paul is proclaiming here, not that Jesus’ sacrifice is incomplete, but that the external and practical way that salvation works sometimes takes an extra push. We can be that extra nudge or push for those who are near and dear to us. Now the question is, do we do this or are we afraid? 

When I was working at a parish collaborative in Michigan I once gave a talk on Catholicism and afterwards one of the parents came up to me. They said they had raised their kids Catholic but that their son no longer practiced the faith and most of their kids had fallen away over the years. They wanted to know the secret sauce to get their kids back into the Catholic faith. I simply asked when the last time was that they prayed together. The parents could not remember a time that they had ever prayed together. Now, this isn’t to shame the parents, but I think it is pretty common. Do we believe in the transformative power of prayer and fasting and are we doing these things for and with our loved ones who need the love of God. St. Paul makes it clear that if we can add anything to the already perfect suffering of Christ, it’s that we can help people to know that there is a God who loves them and wants to be in communion with them. Let’s pray for the grace to be bold, to pray, to fast, and to help others see the love of Christ. From all of us here at Rodzinka Ministry, God bless!

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Tommy Shultz is the Founder/Director of Rodzinka Ministry and a content specialist for Ruah Woods, a Theology of the Body Ministry. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. Tommy has a heart and 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. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith.

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Affliction Can Open Our Hearts to God

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In our readings today, we have something that doesn’t happen every day: there is a clear theme running through all three readings and the Psalm. Each reading, in its own way, shows how God is close to the physically and spiritually afflicted.

Too often in the midst of our physical and spiritual afflictions, we may feel anything but close to God. We might feel like God is punishing us. Despite numerous Scripture passages to the contrary (e.g. the entire book of Job), people may even tell us we are afflicted because our faith is not strong enough.

In fact, God chooses the poor and afflicted precisely because they are poor and afflicted. They know they cannot rely on their own strength, and they need God to heal them and lift them up. Those who live comfortable lives may start to think they “earned” their status through their own merits and see no need to turn to God and let Him work in their lives.

On a personal note, as I await the birth of my second child any day now, I have been reflecting a lot on my painful journey with primary, then secondary infertility. Looking back, I can see how God was close to me in that affliction, using that time of waiting and disappointment to help me grow as a mother and a person. Through this journey, God made my children not just blessings, but miracles, and He gave me a heart to never take that for granted.

So my prayer today is that those poor and afflicted in any way in this world will open their hearts and allow God to heal them, turning the desert of their life into a spring of life-giving water.

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J.M. Pallas has had a lifelong love of Scriptures. When she is not busy with her vocation as a wife and mother to her “1 Samuel 1” son, or her vocation as a public health educator, you may find her at her parish women’s bible study, affectionately known as “The Bible Chicks.”

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God Must Come First

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The First Reading for today is from Colossians, and it’s just one sentence long. But it’s a powerful and thought-provoking sentence. In part, it reads: “You once were alienated and hostile in mind because of evil deeds; God has now reconciled you in the fleshly body of Christ through His death, to present you holy, without blemish, and irreproachable before Him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.”

Let us take just a few moments throughout the day today to reflect on that fact. Indeed, God sent His Son here to redeem us. He didn’t do this because we deserved it; He did it out of pure love. 

God’s love for us is so powerful, so unending, and so beautiful that He allowed His Son to die a horribly painful death on the cross for us. 

Despite this knowledge, and despite this immense gift God gave us, we sometimes reject His gift. We permit worldly things to come before Him, allowing them to hurt the relationship Christ sought to establish when He came.

Furthermore, we know that what we must do for Christ and what we actually do are often two very different things. We know that, as St. Paul says, we must “persevere in the faith,” but we find ourselves ensnared by sin, falling repeatedly into the same worldly traps of vice. Though we don’t have the same kinds of idols that the people of the Old Testament had, we do have the idols of society today. And often they do get in the way of our relationship with Christ and keep us from persevering in faith. 

These things include the trappings of modern life like the Internet, TV, video games or games on our phones, and so forth. Or maybe these “idols” are more serious addictions like drugs, alcohol, gambling, or something else. 

Anything that we put first or before Christ is an idol that keeps us from persevering and firmly grounding ourselves in our faith. They take us back to the time where mankind was alienated because of evil deeds.

The amazing thing is that we have the power to stop this alienation. We can decide to make changes anytime we want. It begins with identifying these “idols” and demoting them. Unless they are seriously hurting us or our relationships with others, we don’t have to totally give up things we enjoy, but we must not allow ourselves to be consumed by them. 

God must always come first in our lives. 

So, starting today, let us reflect on our lives and on what the “idols” are that we must reject so that we can start rebuilding and renewing our relationship with Christ. 

He’s waiting with open arms.

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Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 17 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Eleven of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program-an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students.

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Light of Life

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Today is the memorial of Pope Saint Gregory the Great, and a doctor of the Church. I usually make a point of doing some research about the saint(s) of the day before beginning any writing, and always after I’ve read the Scriptures for the day.  I’m particularly drawn to these lines from Pope St. Gregory I:

“The sacred scriptures grow with the one who reads them.”

“God is within all things but not included; outside all things but not excluded. God is above all things but not beyond their reach.”

“The Bible is a stream of running water, where alike the elephant may swim, and the lamb walk without losing its feet.” 

“Let no seductive good fortune lead us astray, he is a foolish traveler who sees pleasant meadows on his journey and forgets where he is going.”

“Act in such a way that your humility may not be weakness, nor your authority be severity. Justice must be accompanied by humility, that humility may render justice lovable.”

What I read in the lines above come to life for me in the Sacred Scriptures today. As I continue to read and reflect on the passages for today, they take on different dimensions just as the first quote states. The reading from Colossians encompasses the second quote from St. Gregory.

The third really reminds me of a children’s story, Seven Blind Mice, that I’ve read to my family and used in many different catechetical situations. It reminds us, just like the first and third quotes, that each of us begins in a different place on the journey. Together though, we can come into a greater sense of shared vision and perspective. 

It’s a great lead into the Gospel from Luke where scribes and Pharisees question Jesus about his disciples not fasting and offering prayers. Jesus then shares the parable about the new wine and old wineskins, and the next two quotes above illuminate this for me.

The Gospel acclamation from John says, “I am the light of the world, says the Lord: whoever follows me will have the light of life”. May the Sacred Scriptures continue to grow within you. May you feel as comfortable as a lamb walking in the words of the Bible as much as an elephant feels comfortable swimming in those same words. May we each be surrounded in the light of life.

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Beth Price is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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Being Present

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Sometimes when I am reading through Scripture, a passage tends to fly off the page as if God printed it on a spiritual two by four and whacked me with it. That was certainly the case with the readings for today. I typically like to read through all the readings and pray through them and then decide on a part to focus on. Today, it was clear that God wanted me to reflect on these simple words, “From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.” 

Read through that a few times and ask yourself if you have ever had the care for your fellow man in this same way. I know I need to work on this. It’s such a beautiful greeting because it immediately shows care for the person and a hope for prosperity, joy, and knowledge of the Lord. 

I think in our world today we struggle with being present. We have all these things flying at us throughout the day and they are going so fast that it is hard to focus on the people God has put into our lives. Think about it for just a second, how many advertisements have you seen or heard today from the moment you woke up until now? We receive things through the radio, news on the tv, billboards on the way to work, ads on our web browsers, and the list goes on. 

The world moves so fast that we never take the time to go slow. I am going to try to reflect on this all week. When I ask people how they are, am I waiting for a sincere answer? Do I take the time to pray for those who I say I will? Has “I’ll pray for you” just become a way to neglect the real work of sitting with the person and being with them, while also praying in the moment? 

These are hard questions I think we should all ask in order to get to the point where we can say, “From the day I heard about you, I did not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will.” Let’s say it and mean it. From all of us here at Rodzinka Ministry, God bless!

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Tommy Shultz is the Founder/Director of Rodzinka Ministry and a content specialist for Ruah Woods, a Theology of the Body Ministry. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. Tommy has a heart and 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. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith.

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I Trust in the Mercy of God

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I have many friends and acquaintances in the midst of a myriad of challenges in their lives. Honestly though, each of us has a whole lot of stuff going on in our lives. Isn’t that the common denominator of human existence? Time is constantly moving forward. Change too, is part of that forward movement. The readings today touch on that theme.

A tremendous change happened in the world through Mary’s yes and Jesus’ birth. Throughout all of time, in trials and tribulations, good times and bad, He is with us. He is the Son of God, the Word incarnate. 

I pray that I have as much faith as Mary, to trust in the mercy and love of God through all times. Mary carried God’s love and mercy close to her heart so we too, can share in that grace and mercy through the teachings and sacrifice of her son, Jesus.

I pray that I will thank you always for what you have done, Lord, and proclaim the goodness of your name, to all and through all situations. Amen.

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Beth Price is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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All of You are Children of Light

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What is Paul talking about when he speaks of some people who are “in darkness” and “of the night” while others are “children of the light and children of the day”?

This is an important question because Paul is laying out before us two paths, two ways of living. In Deuteronomy, we can read Moses’ appeal to the children of Israel centuries earlier to consider these two paths carefully. “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity…. I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors” (Deuteronomy 30:15, 20).

In the Teton Wilderness in northwestern Wyoming is a little forest stream called Two Ocean Creek. This small creek is one of the most unusual features of the Continental Divide, where everything on its western slope flows into the Colorado River and empties eventually into the Pacific Ocean, and everything on its eastern slope flows into the Mississippi River and dumps eventually into the Atlantic Ocean. Two Ocean Creek is the only creek in America that flows into two oceans. Hikers can splash their hands in the creek and determine which drops of water head west and which begin to slope toward the east.

Life is like that. There are choices between east and west, this career or continuing education, living here and living there… And, as our First Reading reminds us, between life and death, light and darkness. 

We are not at the mercy of gravity like the water in Two Ocean Creek. Both Moses and Paul are telling us that we have the power to make choices. Some seem as insignificant as the small stream on The Continental Divide. But the paths we take lead us into light and into dark, into the day and into the night.

Paul says that the children of the night are those who say, “Peace and security,” finding their salvation and their fulfillment entirely on this earth. Their memory, desires, will, and thoughts are taken up with things that satisfy them here and now. It is these people that are surprised by the coming of the Lord like a thief in the night, and what happens is a disaster to them.

Paul tells the Thessalonians: “Stay alert, do not sleep for God has destined us to gain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that we may live together with him.”

Dumitru Stăniloae, in Orthodox Dogmatic Theology: The Experience of God, describes children of the light with these words: “the faces of the saints even here on earth have something of the eschatological plane of eternity in their appearance, that plane through which God’s features will be fully reflected, and his energies will radiate” (page 22).

Christ is the Day, the radiance of the Father’s glory. As children of the day and of the light, we reflect the glory which shone from him on Mount Tabor in his Transfiguration. “For it is the God who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

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Sr. Kathryn J. HermesKathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey. Website: www.touchingthesunrise.com Public Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/srkathrynhermes/ For monthly spiritual journaling guides, weekly podcasts and over 50 conferences and retreat programs join my Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/srkathryn.

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Oh Fickle Human

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How fickle human beings are! I know I have seen this behavior in my own actions, and I’m sure you have experienced it in your own as well. One moment everything is roses and the next we feel the world is against us. There is a certain appeal to this pendulum swing. Back and forth we go, never satisfied with one side or the other.

In today’s Gospel, the crowd was first amazed, finding Jesus’ words to be full of truth and graciousness. But, oh human suspicions and doubt. “Is this not the son of Joseph?” How could someone we know be so amazing? Jesus responds, challenging them to consider what they know and to broaden their perspective. They choose the narrow way, seeing only what they could with their eyes. 

We have found similar themes in our Sunday readings these past weeks from John 6, The Bread of Life Discourse. Jesus is pushing his followers into a new spiritual space. They are hesitant, resistant even. Who is this man, who tells us we must eat his flesh and drink his blood? Who is this man, who claims to be the fulfillment of Scripture?

Even today, Jesus tells us clearly these same teachings. How do we choose to respond to the mystery before us? Do we accept that the Eucharist is Jesus’ true Body and Blood? Do we firmly believe that He is the Son of God, our Savior and our brother? 

God, in His goodness and generosity, knows well the fickle heart of humanity. This is why He never stops seeking us. His patience will outlast the most indecisive, the most changing of hearts. 

If you feel you are in a place of spiritual doubt, do not distress. We grow in our faith as we wrestle to understand it more fully. Talk to your pastor, a spiritual director or solid friend. Look to the Catechism and writings of the saints. The saints are especially good company for someone having a difficult time with a mystery of the faith. They have walked our journey and many had similar doubts which they grew through during the course of their life. 

And pray. Take your doubts to the Holy Spirit. Do not be like the crowd that struck out in fury and tried to toss Jesus out. Keep your wonder and amazement and admit you still do not understand. He will guide your steps as you grow in wisdom and understanding.

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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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First Fruit

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Imagine “nothing.” In the beginning there was nothing. From nothing God brought into existence everything. When I try to imagine what nothing is, I envision complete darkness, but even darkness is something.  Nothing is not a thing. This is what God started with and from it he created, he willed into existence, all that we see and know – from the molten core of the earth to the stars in the galaxy; from dirt to trees to rivers to animals. All of it came from the God of lights, the unchanging Creator. 

We read today that every perfect gift comes from God and we know from Genesis that everything God created is good. The sand, the rocks, the clouds and the elephants are good. The lions, bees, cows, and plants are good. God’s imagination is boundless and it is all good.

Take a moment to recognize all God created and then reflect on your place in it. Not only are you good by virtue of being a creature of God, but you, according to James, are a first fruit of God’s creation. The first fruit is the fruit of the harvest offered to God in thanksgiving. It’s the best and it’s offered in recognition that God deserves the best. 

Here, James is positing that humans are the first fruits of creation – the best. This includes all of us. By his will he created you just as you are and you are a first fruit. It’s hard to remember this. It’s easy to find fault with ourselves. When I look in the mirror I see what’s wrong more often than what’s right. When I reflect on my actions, I see where I could have done better instead of what I did well. I forget that by nature of being willed by God that I am good. He made me as I am and he loves me as I am. To tell myself otherwise is an insult to the One who made me because he only makes good.

I am a first fruit. As are you. We are good. We are loved. We are enough. 

Why?

Because God made us that way.

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Merridith Frediani loves words and is delighted by good sentences. She also loves Lake Michigan, dahlias, the first sip of hot coffee in the morning, millennials, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids. She writes for Catholic Mom, Diocesan.com, and her local Catholic Herald. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Adoration is available at Our Sunday Visitor and Amazon. You can learn more at merridithfrediani.com.

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Lend Your Talents to God’s Kingdom

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The parable of the talents can sometimes be a difficult Gospel to wrap our heads around … but it doesn’t have to be. I think that some people can get hung up on the fact that this Gospel passage is actually about money but it can be easily applied to our natural gifts and talents as well. 

I’m going to ask you to do something slightly uncomfortable right now. Stop for a moment, close your eyes, take a deep breath and identify what your God-given gifts are. This can be an uncomfortable practice because some of us (myself included) have trouble seeing what our gifts and talents are for a variety of different reasons. However, it is a necessary practice as each of us works to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth. 

Okay, so, deep breath. I am … Fill in the blank with your gifts and talents. Here’s a few of my own, since I know I need more practice identifying my gifts: I am a strong writer. I am organized. I am a good listener. Keep your list going as long as possible. And, if you are having trouble coming up with different gifts and talents (I know I did), don’t be afraid to invite the Holy Spirit into a moment of prayer, asking him for help in seeing your gifts the way that he sees them. 

Now, reflect on each individual talent that you listed. How does this gift help me to build up the Kingdom of God? For example, I am able to use my gift of writing to build up the Kingdom of God by writing different blogs like this to share the truths of the Gospel and our faith. I can also use this gift to the benefit of my parish by writing reflections for our bulletin and for editing different publications that we might put out. 

Finally, let’s reflect on our gifts and talents in light of today’s Gospel. How can we be like the first two servants who took their five and two talents, respectively, and made an additional five and two talents? In other words, how can we use our current gifts and talents and build upon them in order to further our work of building the Kingdom of God? This might take some time to discern but I encourage you – do not be afraid of the possibilities! Through the grace of God and with the power of the Holy Spirit, our gifts can do great things in the world. 

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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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