Posted on

Radiant Grace

Click here for daily readings

Today’s Gospel is a bit difficult to apply because we are so far removed from the cultural references – virgins? bridegroom? wedding feast? oil lamps?

If the “wedding feast” here refers to Heaven, and the bridegroom is Jesus himself (images already present in the Old Testament), then we see that the Church is the Bride of Christ, and each one of us is also his bride.  

Those waiting for the bridegroom are described as “virgins” – those who seek “the one thing necessary”, as Jesus said (Lk 10:42); their souls thirst for the Lord (Psalm 63); they are focused fully on being ready for Jesus to return for them. He is delayed and comes at midnight to bring the virgins into the feast with him when they have all become weary and fallen asleep, but only half of them are prepared. The foolish half did not bring enough oil to keep their small lamps burning and had run out. The wise ones brought enough to wait right through the heart of the night, so they replenish their oil and stoke up their flames.

What is this “oil”? The oil that keeps their lamps burning to the end of their lives when Jesus comes to bring them into the Heavenly Feast signifies grace and love, their loving desire, faithfulness, and prayer, their pure and burning offering of themselves to him.  

The foolish ones think of these things as a superficial commodity they can run out and get at the last minute, but growing in love and grace and becoming the person we are created to be is the work of a lifetime. This is why the wise virgins cannot give any of their oil to the foolish ones – the oil is a specific image of Christ-life within each of us, and the warmth and light that come from deep devotion and fidelity cannot be handed off to another at the last minute.

Jesus tells us that he has come to cast a fire on earth (Lk 12:49), and he desires that it burn in a unique way in each of us. This fire that God longs to see in each soul grows throughout our spiritual journey, gradually taking its shape in the depths of our relationship with the Lord and with one another. We can let our light shine for others, and others may light their lamps from this fire, but the oil must come from each person’s cooperation with the work of the Holy Spirit within them, as they become a unique Image of God.

This is the goal of each individual life and of the whole of human history – to grow in our relationship with God in such a way that we burn with the radiance for which He created us so that He knows us as His own and we light up the world and heaven in the way that He has called us to shine.

Contact the author

Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

Feature Image Credit: Ritabrata Das, https://unsplash.com/photos/kpaBHvDE7aQ

Posted on

Who Is Blameless?

Click here for daily readings

       In today’s letter to the Thessalonians, Paul tells us in the last line “to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father  at the coming of our lord Jesus with all his holy ones.” What does the word blameless mean to you? To me it means purity. When is the last time you heard a person in conversation use the word pure or purity? It just does not seem to be a word we use anymore. Dare I say it is because of a change in our culture? There are many areas of life where this change might have come from. If a generation is 40 years, then I have lived about two of them. The Lord touched me at four years old in the basement of a Free Methodist church in 1949. I have tried all my life, since then, to be obedient to God’s voice. Guess what? I don’t always do that! God in his mercy has never left me. 
       The change in our culture occurred in a very short time. The increase in technology has certainly contributed to it. How? 10-year-olds are carrying smartphones. They have access to the same filth that adults do. Violence in games seems to be addictive. Mortal Kombat was a big hit when it first came out a few years ago. Now there are some that make it look like Frogger. (Slight exaggeration.)  Some would say it doesn’t affect our children. Don’t believe that. I know a guy that lost his job because he couldn’t put down the controller and he played games all night. Then he was late for work every morning. It happened too many times. And he was fired. So, how do we guard ourselves and protect purity for ourselves and our children? Answer, by being intentional. And monitoring our children and ourselves. And making sure they are not watching inappropriate videos, etc. I have a daughter that does not allow their children to get on YouTube. It has a way of drawing one into other videos that may not be appropriate.
        Did you ever wonder what purity looks like? It’s easy, just pick up a baby and hold him or her in your left arm and then look lovingly at their face. This child is holy, pure, and innocent, it is the closest we get to seeing God. I believe the birth of my sister helped me in this area. She was born 12 years after me in 1957. When I turned 16 I got a car. And took her everywhere. She told me a while back that I took her and my girlfriend to the drive-in movie. No brother ever does that. At first I didn’t remember doing it. But I guess I did. It was the I was the only 16 year old guy in Ludington driving around with his little sister sitting next to him in his 1954 Buick. We are very close to this day.
       If today is the day you want to work on your purity, the answer is simple, ask God for the grace to do so. You can pray with great confidence that it will be answered! Why? Because He desires it more that you do! There is a condition. You must receive it and then put it into action. God will not force it upon you. You will become a new person!
      Serving with Joy!

Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They are the parents of eight children and twenty-nine grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002.  He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.

Featured Image Credit: Peter Oslanec, https://unsplash.com/photos/Mu6RjGUzrQA

Posted on

Inspecting Our Insides

Click here for daily readings

Does your outside match your inside? Actions, as they say, speak far louder than words. We reveal so much more of ourselves by our behavior than from what we say. However, even if we sometimes fool the world, we can never hide the truth from God. No wonder today’s Gospel calling out the Pharisees is paired with Psalm 139, particularly the responsorial refrain, “You have searched me and you know me, Lord.” God’s knowledge of us goes so far beyond searching, for He has created us. He knows every hair on our heads, our comings in our goings, and our inner beings. What good does it do us to even attempt to hide from God? What objective do we hope to accomplish? If we believe in Him, should not our whole being become a symphony of pleasing Him? Every moment in harmony with the life of grace and holiness His love calls us to?  Through sin and temptation, we can fail, we can fall, we can even attempt to evade, but regardless of what we do, because of what He did, we are never lost. Even if we become unwittingly whitewashed tombs, God is there to rescue our souls with the vivid color of His grace.  On the outside, a perfectly crafted faithful avatar to show the world, but inside we rail against many of God’s teachings. “Hypocrites,” Jesus calls the Pharisees. Looking at your life, do these harsh words apply to who we have allowed ourselves to be? Do our Christian insides match our outsides?  You search me, and you know me, Lord. You know there are days I struggle to attend Mass or even to pray. You know, my battle with gossip and judging, and all the sins I continually bring to my Confessor. You know I doubt, fear, and forget some days to bring these weaknesses to you in prayer—perhaps even bordering on despair in my wrestling with the world or my current circumstances. Alleluia. You loving God, never leave me without hope. “Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him” (1 John 2:5). May you find more of you and less of me the next time you search me, God. May my insides match more closely the outside, especially that image of me who longs to love and live like you. Contact the author

Allison Gingras works for WINE: Women In the New Evangelization as National WINE Steward of the Virtual Vineyard. She is a Social Media Consultant for the Diocese of Fall River and CatholicMom.com. She is a writer, speaker, and podcaster, who founded ReconciledToYou.com and developed the Stay Connected Journals for Catholic Women (OSV).   

Feature Image Credit: ANGEL, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/898-claustro

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

Posted on

Lord, We Ask For Your Mercy

Click here for daily readings

This past week I moved a dear friend of mine home from an assisted living facility to his own place. He was placed there after a week in the hospital to recover from an illness. The illness hit him fast and hard; One day he was fully functional and the next he was in the hospital completely relying on others for his care. It was a pretty traumatic experience. He felt very alone and was fearful he would not be able to care for himself. After a week he was well enough to leave the hospital but not strong enough to be on his own. He was skeptical that a care facility would be a good place for him even if for a short time.  

We did not have the ability to bring him to our home, so he went to the care facility. After a short stay he was ready to return home. My family and a few friends readied his place to welcome him. He was overwhelmed by our service and generosity. After we settled him in he asked if he could say a prayer before we left. He thanked God, the crew who cared for him so well at the facility, and those who helped at his home. Then he said, ”Lord, we ask you for your mercy because we sure don’t want your justice.” We all chuckled then said goodbye. 

In today’s Gospel, we are reminded of Nathanael’s words, “ How could anything good come from such a place?” So often we are skeptical when someone tries to convince us of the truth until we can comprehend it for ourselves. Frank did not think the staff at the care facility would care for him well. He did not think he had anyone who would come to his aid. He prayed for God’s mercy and put his life in His hands. When we are receptive to the word of Christ and when we see his love in action, the Lord Jesus himself, through the power of the Holy Spirit, touches our hearts and opens our minds to recognize the Father’s love and truth to us.

We shared our faith through our actions by cleaning Frank’s home, purchasing groceries, and setting up a plan for regular visitors. Today’s Psalm proclaims, “Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom” (Ps 145:12).

Who have you brought to Jesus Christ?  We have a lot of people to thank, but do we have anyone that will thank us?  Have I brought anyone closer to our Lord? How often do we make judgments on people or situations, convinced that we are correct? How often can we be blinded to a message from God by a “type of messenger” we didn’t expect? 

The Lord does not ask us to convert anyone.  He asks us to simply proclaim the Good News in word and action.  Only the Lord knows the hearts of His people.  Only He knows us by heart. 

Lord, grant us an open heart and mind so we can truly see you in all people. Help us to overcome our own prejudices, against others and against God himself.  And Lord, we ask you for your mercy because we sure don’t want justice without it!

Contact the author

Andrea Perry is the Customer Care team leader at Diocesan. She enjoys camping, cooking, and traveling, and most of all spending time with her children and her 8 siblings! 

Feature Image Credit: Miriam G., https://unsplash.com/photos/LAt6qTonZ4A

Posted on

Let Your Actions Speak

Click here for daily readings

When I read daily Mass readings, I don’t usually think of a Second Reading that would have fit nicely, I just reflect on those readings. Today, though, I was reminded of James 2:14-26 and its discussion of how faith is manifested through works, and faith without works is dead.

Each of the readings today emphasizes that, for better or for worse, our actions speak louder than our words. We don’t necessarily need to talk about our faith if our actions shout it out. As Jesus said in John 13:35, “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love is shown in actions, not in words. In the Psalm, much of the description of praising God is in actions like singing and dancing. Of course we are called to use words, too, but not solely.

The Gospel, on the other hand, focuses on the inverse. That when our words are holy but our actions are not, we inflict pain on God, our neighbors, and ourselves. We might think we are doing God’s will when we “talk a good game” without actually acting out our faith in service to God and others with Joy and Charity, but we are only bringing sadness and woe to everyone involved, in the long run.

In these readings, I see a call to two things: first, to show my faith in acts of service for the love of God and neighbor, done not grudgingly, but with generosity and joy. Second, to examine my conscience to see if my words and public deeds are matching my private deeds and what is in my heart. If we do these two things, I can’t help but think that the Lord will delight in us and our efforts.

Contact the author

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.”

Feature Image Credit: Peggy_Marco, https://pixabay.com/illustrations/climb-help-the-robber-s-head-head-3973974/

Posted on

The Queenship of Mary

Click here for daily readings

The feast of the Queenship of Mary was established sixty seven years ago by Pope Pius XII on the 22nd of August, giving closure to the octave of Mary which began last Sunday with the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Today’s feast fits nicely with the readings that speak of Spirit and life. Mary carried the Living Word and the life-giving Spirit of God in her Son, Jesus.
Mary understood intimately that Jesus was Spirit in the flesh and the definition of the living Word of God the Father. 

Let us pray together the following, written by Pope Francis in 2013, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, for her intercession, to be filled with the Spirit and be more effective instruments of Jesus here in this world.

Mary, Virgin and Mother,

you who, moved by the Holy Spirit,

welcomed the word of life

in the depths of your humble faith:

as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One,

help us to say our own “yes”

to the urgent call, as pressing as ever,

to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

Filled with Christ’s presence,

you brought joy to John the Baptist,

making him exult in the womb of his mother.

Brimming over with joy,

you sang of the great things done by God.

Standing at the foot of the cross

with unyielding faith,

you received the joyful comfort of the resurrection,

and joined the disciples in awaiting the Spirit

so that the evangelizing Church might be born.

Obtain for us now a new ardor born of the resurrection,

that we may bring to all the Gospel of life

which triumphs over death.

Give us a holy courage to seek new paths,

that the gift of unfading beauty

may reach every man and woman. 

Virgin of listening and contemplation,

Mother of love, Bride of the eternal wedding feast,

pray for the Church, whose pure icon you are,

that she may never be closed in on herself

or lose her passion for establishing God’s kingdom.

Star of the new evangelization,

help us to bear radiant witness to communion,

service, ardent and generous faith,

justice and love of the poor,

that the joy of the Gospel

may reach to the ends of the earth,

illuminating even the fringes of our world.

Mother of the living Gospel,

wellspring of happiness for God’s little ones,

pray for us.

Amen. Alleluia!
Pope Francis, Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (24 November 2013)

Contact the author

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.

Feature Image Credit: Matías Medina, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/1205-peregrinacion-nuestra-senora-lourdes

Posted on

God’s Generosity

Click here for daily readings

As a child, my parents taught me to tithe 10% of every dime I made. I started delivering newspapers when I was nine years old and babysitting when I was eleven or twelve, so each week I would bring my contribution to church.

My dad was on the stewardship committee at our parish for many years and he loved to tell the story of me as a child leaning over to my mom asking if I could borrow $1.20 to put in the collection basket because I had earned $12 that week and had forgotten my wallet.

I share this not to toot my own horn, but rather to express that there is something truly beautiful about tithing and it has helped me to keep God first by cutting Him the first check right off the top.

My husband and I have been through some tough times for sure. Unemployment, underemployment, a signed work contract that wasn’t honored, renters who didn’t pay, people who trashed portions of our home, etc. But not once have we been without food to eat or a roof over our heads and very seldom have we even been in debt.

If any of you are familiar with Dave Ramsey, he suggests doing a monthly $0 budget, where you keep track of all income versus all expenses and they should balance out to $0. I have been doing this for quite some time, and somehow, I always end up in the red. (BOO!) But what never ceases to amaze me and what I don’t fully understand, is that even though I come out in the negative on paper, I always have money in the bank left over! It is almost like God multiplies my own little loaves and fishes each and every month! God is good!

I truly believe this is a phenomenon of God’s generosity. He takes my measly 10% and makes sure I never go without.

God shows similar generosity in today’s First Reading. Ruth, a poor foreigner who left her family and her native land to take care of her mother-in-law, was blessed in abundance. Boaz recognized her virtue and took her as his wife and she was never in need again. Most likely, it didn’t occurred to her that she was being generous, she was just acting out of love, but God rewarded her nonetheless. Not only did she enjoy financial stability, she became the great-grandmother of King David!

Today’s Psalm declares: “See how the Lord blesses those who fear him.” The Lord wants to bless us so much more than we can imagine. We may have to weather poverty or storms or difficulties, but we can always find God’s hand in our lives, no matter what we are going through.

So whether it be by tithing, taking care of a loved one or serving in a ministry God has called us to, let us strive to be generous with God. Then sit back and see just how generous He is with you!

Contact the author

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.

Feature Image Credit: Raphael Rychetsky, https://unsplash.com/photos/li9JfUHQfOY

Posted on

The Significance of Love

Click here for daily readings

In the Gospel reading today, the Pharisees asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. He responded: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This pretty much sums up all the commandments, does it not? We must love our Lord with all of our being. And we must love our neighbor as we love ourselves. It seems easy. But, like many things in life, it’s easier said than done. First, let’s understand what love really means, as lots of people use the word to indicate a strong desire for something (like pizza or chocolate) or to indicate that they especially like something. While we can really like chocolate, adore koalas, or be fond of an excellent movie, that isn’t the meaning of love that Christ was referring to. The love Christ meant goes much deeper than a strong desire or proclivity for something.  He wants us to love Him above all else. And that love requires action. If we truly love God above all else, that means we pray throughout the day, we talk about our faith proudly, we go to confession regularly, we cherish the reception of His body in the Eucharist, and we glorify Him in all we do. In short, we develop a relationship with God, and we work on strengthening that relationship every single day. That is the love He commands from us. Loving others as we love ourselves means that we want what’s best for the other person. It means that we never wish any harm to come to them. We don’t speak ill of them. We treat them kindly and with compassion. And when Christ said to love our neighbor, He didn’t mean just our friends. Friends are easy to love. He meant everyone around us. That means we have to love the cashier at the grocery store, the bothersome person at work, the politician we dislike, or the person who has wronged us.  That is the hard part of God’s commandment. But we must also remember that loving others does not mean condoning bad behavior. It means treating them kindly, praying for them, serving as a good example, and teaching them about God. Indeed, we must be the light of Christ to them. When we faithfully follow these two commandments, we will not only find ourselves growing closer to God, but we will also make our world a better place. And this will lead to an eternity with God that begins with “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Contact the author

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.

Feature Image Credit: https://www.cathopic.com/photo/4829-un-atardecer-diferente

Posted on

Fair vs Just

Click here for daily readings

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. 

Contact the author

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.

Feature Image Credit: David Bartus, https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-plant-field-near-house-442116/

Posted on

Give up my stuff?

Click here for daily readings

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.

Contact the author

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.

Feature Image Credit: Created in getstencil.com by author