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The Rocks of Faith

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Today’s Gospel has always really stuck with me…especially the first part (up until “…whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven”). I know a big reason for this Gospel sticking with me is that I had to memorize it for one of my high school theology classes. At the time I’m sure I was frustrated that I had to memorize so many words for what felt like no reason. But now thinking about it, I realize how often I refer to this passage in my own personal faith as well as in conversations with others. In reflecting on the two readings for today–the first from Numbers and the Gospel from Matthew, I think I’m coming to understand the passage from Matthew more… I’m sure my high school theology teacher is somewhere saying, “See, Dakota, I told you it wasn’t all for nothing!”

In the reading from Numbers, we hear of Moses’ disobedience. To be completely honest, it wasn’t until someone pointed it out very recently that I understood how exactly Moses disobeyed God in this instance. It’s subtle. God’s command was to speak to the rock in order for it to produce water. Instead, Moses strikes the rock in order for it to produce water. Although it is subtle, Moses’ action makes evident his lack of faith in God’s power and God punishes the disobedience by not allowing Moses to enter into the Promised Land with his people. 

In the Gospel we hear Simon Peter’s profession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It is after this profession that Jesus tells Peter that he is the rock upon which the Church will be built. The Church, in her wisdom, pairs the story of God bringing forth water for Moses through a rock and the story of Peter being the rock in order to show us that we can choose a path of disobedience or obedience. It also shows us that God can enact good despite man’s sin. Even though Moses did not follow God’s command, God still gave the Israelites water. Even though Peter denied Jesus, our Church is founded upon the leadership of Peter. God’s will and God’s power are not confined by human or earthly limitations. 

Personally, when I’m not putting my full trust in God it’s because I’m doubting His power or His will: “How could He possibly make this situation better?” “Why would God want this?” When we fully place our trust in His power, we are able to also submit ourselves to His will. When we do that, we no longer have doubts in why things are happening because we trust that God is enacting His will in our lives. 

May we always have faith in the power of God. May we also look to our Mother Mary as our hope and intercessor because it was her “yes” to God’s will that brought about the Incarnation!

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

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Faith, Prayer, Love and Trust

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Today is the memorial of St. John Vianney. A parish priest, St. John is known for his dedication to serving in the confessional, wise teachings and simple rhythm of life. There are two quotes attributed to St. John which came to mind while reflecting on today’s Gospel about the scene between Jesus and a Canaanite woman who pleaded for her daughter’s healing.

“A humble person, whether he is laughed at or esteemed, or praised, or blamed, whether he is honoured or despised, whether people pay attention to him or pass him by, it is all the same to Him.”

The woman’s plea was heard after she reminded Jesus that dogs too, eat the scraps from the masters’ table. Her faith was rewarded; her daughter healed.

This passage from Matthew highlights God’s love and mercy for all, no matter the circumstances of a person. Jesus’ teachings and healing grace are available to everyone.

St. John Vianney’s second quote, “The glorious duty of man is to pray and love. If you pray and love, that is where a man’s happiness lies,” emphasises the necessity of prayer and love. The Canaanite woman innately knew this teaching in her own life. There is a bond and connection through love to our Master, the Lord God. As the Father so loved the world He gave us His Son. As a mother so loved her daughter, she prayed for healing and received it. Alleluia!

The belief, faith, humility and trust demonstrated by the Canaanite woman, by my friend Tami (reflections recently found here in Inspiration Daily) remind me that with God, through Him, in Him, all things are possible. Personally, I have to remember the answers to prayer are in His time, not mine.

O Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
Amen. Alleluia.
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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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Praying Through the Waves

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The Gospel reading for today is by far one of my favorites, so much so that it was the Gospel at our wedding. If you have never done Lectio Divina before, this is a perfect verse to start with. Lectio Divina simply means “divine reading” and it’s a way to pray through Scripture instead of just reading it. There are many different forms you can find online, but I want to share a simple form with you today and include this verse and my brief reflections. 

Begin as you would any prayer, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Take a few deep breaths. Try to relax and get comfortable. Take your time and do not rush. Read the Gospel for today slowly and as you read, see if anything in particular stands out to you. Take a quick mental note of the things that seem to pop off the page and thank God for speaking to you through this ancient text. 

Next, read it again and try to put yourself into the story and focus on those few phrases that stood out to you. Maybe you were struck by Peter’s faith. Do you relate to his character in the story? Read slowly and prayerfully and allow yourself to enter the narrative. 

Finally, take time to just be in the presence of God. Read it one last time and then simply sit in silence. No expectations, no questions, no fleeting thoughts. Just for a moment let God love you and just sit with him in silence. A good way to do this is pay attention to your breathing and simply say “Come Holy Spirit” with every breath you take. This can help you relax and focus on the Lord’s presence. 

End your time of prayer and take any notes you think may be helpful for you in the future. Whenever I pray through this verse I am immediately drawn to the fact that there are three types of people in the story. There were those who were too afraid to get out of the boat, there was Peter as he was trusting, and then there was Peter as he was sinking and crying out. I ask myself this question often and I will ask it to you today, which of the three are you? 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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Satisfaction

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Today’s readings are all about provision and satisfaction. We see what happens to those who are grateful, and ungrateful for his gifts.

In the First Reading we see the Israelites lamenting about the manna. As we recall, in the beginning they were so excited and happy to be saved from starvation, but after a month or two of eating the same thing over and over again, they grew tired and began to complain, saying things were better off in Egypt because they at least had meat to eat! If you continue to read the Book of Numbers you will discover that God sent them meat like they asked, but it infected them with the plague because of their greed.

Not only did they take his blessings for granted, but they despised them. They claimed it would have been better to stay in Egypt.

This, of course, is ridiculous.

The Lord provides anyway, and gives them what they want. But very quickly they learn that sometimes the things they want that God does not want are not always the best things….

In the Gospel we read about the feeding of the five thousand. Jesus taught them, it got late, and the disciples told him to send the people home so they could get something to eat. Jesus, however, replies that it would not be necessary, because he would provide. (And note that it was a deserted place, farther away from the villages. How many that just got up and followed him would have thought to bring money to buy food on the way home?)

You know the rest of the story: two loaves, two fishes, and he feeds five thousand. Another thing to note is that they had twelve baskets full left! Not only does he provide enough for them, he even has extra.

Now what is the difference between those who got the manna and those who got the loaves and fish?

Those who had the loaves and the fish were satisfied.

The Israelites, who probably had more than enough manna to go around and were not physically hungry, were not satisfied. 

Why does this matter?

The greed of the Israelites was their downfall. The greedy got the plague and died. The satisfied crowd was nourished soul and body by Jesus. Which would you rather happen to you?

Perpetua Phelps is a high school student residing in West Michigan and is the second of four children. Apart from homeschooling, Perpetua enjoys volunteering at her church, attending retreats, studying Latin and French, and reading classics such as Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, and Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc. She also spends much time writing novels, essays, and poetry for fun and competition. A passionate Tolkien fan, Perpetua is a founding member of a Tolkien podcast.

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Jesus, the Bread of Life

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“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Jesus is the Bread of Life as He feeds us with his body and blood through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. He provides for what we truly need, and He desires to transform us and make us holy. 

In this Gospel story, many seek Jesus for what He can give them, such as miracles, signs, wonders, and even food. Jesus says, “Amen, amen, I say to you,you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. 
Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life,
which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him the Father, God, has set his seal.” 

This aspect of the Gospel is a calling to live for the eternal, seek what is above, and seek to do the will of God in all things. Jesus offers us our daily food and what we need, but He also reminds us that we were made for so much more! St. Augustine once said, “My heart is restless until it rests in You.” Seeking the will of God is the source of our greatest fulfillment. Peace with God can be ours by cultivating a personal relationship with the Lord through prayer, living a life rooted in the Sacraments, and replacing our sins and vices with virtue. 

It is easy to get caught up in the world that surrounds us and forget that the Lord is the source of all our blessings. Even the Israelites lost sight of that face while wandering in the desert.  They gave Moses credit for the bread that came down from Heaven, while it was from God the Father, as we read below:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from Heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world.”

This Gospel is a beautiful reminder of how we are called to seek Christ and discover the means to follow Him. Jesus is the Bread of Life and when our eyes are set on Christ we come to know what it means to be fully alive. 

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Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.  She is the co-founder of www.inspirethefaith.com and the Executive Director of The Sacred Heart Enthronement Network www.WelcomeHisHeart.com. She has co-authored several Catholic books and her next one, Secrets of the Sacred Heart: Claiming Jesus’ Twelve Promises in Your Life, comes out in Oct. 2020. Emily serves on the board of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, contributes to Relevant Radio and Catholic Mom.com.

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Paving the Path to Heaven

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In the Gospel reading today, we read the story of the beheading of John the Baptist. According to Matthew, at Herod’s birthday celebration, Herodias’ daughter performed a dance that very much delighted Herod. He was so taken with her that he said he would give her whatever she wanted. After consulting her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Though the king hesitated because he did not want to put John to death, he also did not want to lose face in front of the guests. So he complied and had John beheaded.

Aside from the tragedy of John the Baptist’s death, this story should impel us to reflect on what we allow to influence us in our lives. We should ask ourselves: How can I apply the lesson in this story to my own life?

Herod knew what he was doing was wrong, but he did it anyway because he felt pressured by those around him.

How often do we do something we know that we shouldn’t? We allow others to persuade us, to change our point of view, or to make us think that something isn’t as bad as what we originally thought. 

It’s the essence of peer pressure, and it happens all the time—even to adults—and especially in matters related to morality. We get so swept away by what others want that we conform to society’s standards and set aside God’s. 

There are many within society, even in leadership positions, who like to teach that we should allow people to do what they want with their own bodies, in life-or-death situations, or within their own homes. “Live and let live,” they say. 

Why is this wrong? It’s wrong because it perpetuates a society based on people’s wants rather than on God’s laws. 

When we adopt this attitude, we allow ourselves to step further and further away from Christ. It’s like taking a brick house down one brick at a time. The loss of one brick may not matter. But when brick after brick is removed, only a shell of a house is left.

Every time we allow others to influence us so that we take an action we know is wrong, we are removing a “brick” from our path to heaven. If enough bricks are removed, the path becomes crumbled and obscured, and we lose sight of eternity with God. 

That is why we must pray and talk to God on a regular basis. Not only that, but we must be quiet and block out the world that’s trying to distract us with its mesmerizing dance. When we do this, we can hear God’s response.

If we keep our eyes focused on God rather than on the dancer, we will not lose those bricks that pave our way to heaven. And any that have been lost can be replaced, for God is merciful, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him.

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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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Where Do I lack faith?

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This is such an interesting Gospel, it begins with Jesus preaching and the people who hear him are astonished, they acknowledge his wisdom. But that mood quickly changes as they realize who Jesus is and his credibility is lost. Now the people are less amazed and more wondering, “Who does he think he is?” and “Isn’t he one of our neighbors, no one special?” 

And because of their lack of ability to see Jesus with the eyes of faith, what Jesus offers them is lost. He knows their lack of faith. He knows our lack of faith too. And that is what this passage leads me to consider – where do I lack faith? 

On the nights insomnia strikes, my mind races toward my worries. Most of those worries are not in my control – so with great effort, I pull back from the worries, find the rosary beads on my night table and begin to pray. Sometimes it is a Divine Mercy Chaplet, a rosary, or the surrender prayer on repeat. As the beads pass through my fingers I mention a prayer request. Often then I am lulled back to sleep. If not, I move to gratitude, again holding my beads, each one counted not with a prayer or petition but of thanksgiving of something I am grateful for.

Worry is not a part of faith, but it is often part of our human condition. Fear can also be part of our human condition. Fear of the future or the unknown or sickness can all impact our faith. Again, the question, where do I lack faith? Today, sit with that question a bit, asking for the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you. And then, pray to have more faith, to have your worry or fear replaced with faith. 

Jesus has mighty deeds to do for us and through us, my prayer is that I never allow my lack of faith to prevent those mighty deeds. When we turn our fear over to Jesus, we will have a greater faith in him. 

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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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Martha and Mary Moments

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One of the newer memorials in the Roman Catholic Church, today we celebrate Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus. Previously, only Saint Martha was celebrated on July 29; however, back in January, Pope Francis ordered the inscription of all three saints into the General Roman Calendar. 

We are familiar with the raising of Lazarus – one of the more popular Gospel readings for funerals especially – but we can often overlook Martha and Mary in this passage. Upon hearing that Jesus is coming, Martha goes to meet Him on the journey. She leaves her home, her sister Mary and all the people who had come to comfort her over the death of her brother to go meet her friend Jesus. Note that Mary sat at home.

Surely it was Martha’s faith that prompted her to go meet her friend, as displayed by her opening words to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” She could not have known the Lord’s intentions, which He shared with His disciples earlier in verse 11 before arriving at Bethany, saying, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” Yet she had to have known that something was going to happen. Being a friend of Jesus, she had most likely heard – if not witnessed for herself – some of the Lord’s miracles and so she had faith that the same could have been done for her brother. We know how the story ended. 

Let’s take a quick look at Mary in the other option for today’s Gospel, though. Martha, again, goes to welcome the Lord but it is Mary who steals the show in this passage. Martha busied herself trying to be a good host while her sister busied herself with the Lord. Exasperated, Martha asks her friend to ask her sister to help her with the housework but Jesus offers a quiet rebuke instead, “Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”

Both ladies in these respective passages know who the Lord is and it drives their actions. Martha goes to meet Jesus, knowing that He is a great miracle worker. Mary knows who Jesus is and so she chooses to sit at His feet and be with Him. 

Know who Jesus is and let Him drive the actions of your life. 

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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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Giving it All

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It is good for me to remind myself, when I get mired down in the daily mess of life, that my time on earth is transitory. In the entirety of my existence, beginning with conception and continuing forever, life on earth is a tiny blip. It feels huge but it is a mere speck. That’s hard to imagine being bound by time as we are. Never ending eternity, whether in heaven or hell, is impossible to grasp. 

It is good to remember this truth though because it helps to more rightly frame time on earth. In today’s Gospel we hear of two instances of a man selling all he has with joy in pursuit of the kingdom of heaven. I ask myself if I am willing to not just sell all I have, but give all I have because I think that is what Jesus asks of us – give all we have, surrender all we are to the Father. Giving it all and doing it joyfully feels big. 

Am I able to do this? Is there something I value so much that would be hard to give? Do I trust that I’ll still have what I need? 

Several years ago I gave God permission to do what he wanted with my life. It felt at first as if I made a mistake because I was stripped of what I thought was his will. I believe that initially I was doing his will because it led me to a place where I could give him this permission but what he allowed to happen confused me. I ended up giving it all – or as much as I could. At first there was no joy but our God is a patient and gentle teacher and he showed me how to find joy in a place where I had no control, just a lot of uncertainty. 

In going from a rowboat, rowing against the waves to a sailboat powered by the Holy Spirit, I learned that giving it all can be done joyfully. And I learned that while my life’s purpose is to get to heaven, I am not pursuing God as much as God is pursuing me. 

So I’m not alone with nothing, rather I’m growing in communion with the perfect friend – Jesus. I’ve received a hundred times more than I gave. It’s true that God is never outdone in generosity and what he had in store was more than I dreamed. 

Giving God permission may feel scary, but in doing so, we make space for him and we become filled with his grace. The more we give, the more he comes crashing in. And he is greater than a field of treasure or a pearl of great price – he is the glory of the universe, the almighty God and he is so good. 

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Merridith Frediani’s perfect day includes prayer, writing, unrushed morning coffee, reading, tending to dahlias, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids.  She loves finding God in the silly and ordinary.  She writes for Ascension Press, Catholic Mom, and her local Catholic Herald in Milwaukee. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Eucharistic Adoration is expected to be released summer 2021. You can reach her at merridith.frediani@gmail.com

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Wheat, Weeds, and We

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Today we hear Jesus’ explanation of the parable that was read at Mass on Saturday (Matt 24-30).

The Son of Man sows the good seed that is the “children of the Kingdom” (that’s us) in the field that is the world. Meanwhile, his enemy (and ours) sows his own seed, “the children of the Evil One,” in amongst the good seed. Why does the enemy do this anyway? Because the devil hates God but cannot attack God, he uses every possible means to wound God by attacking what God loves most: His Incarnate Son, and the members of His Body, the Church.

Does the enemy do this in broad daylight? No! The enemy always works in the dark, “while everyone was asleep.” This begs the question of whether the enemy would be ABLE to sow his wicked seeds IF THE CHURCH WERE AWAKE and ever vigilant! We can’t say. But we know that God allows the good and the bad to grow together, to give the good seed ample time to establish solid roots and adequate strength. And we can expand this parable to suggest that weeds and wheat can actually change one another somehow – wheat can be infected and become weedy, and weeds can absorb the light and life of wheat and be transformed. No one is definitively in one category or the other until “the end of the age”; until then, we must guard against absorbing the weed-ness around us and hope that every weed will ultimately be changed into wheat. We pray that with enough time, and nourishment, and the quiet miracle of grace that makes repentance and conversion possible, the weeds sown by the enemy to destroy the harvest will be transformed.

There is a cosmic battle going on, and we are part of it! This is no myth: God is real and Satan is real and we are really part of a battle being waged beyond our eyesight. St. Paul tells us to “put on the armor of God” because we are struggling “with the evil spirits in the heavens” (Eph. 6:11-13). But we do not say that there are two equal kingdoms in this battle – the devil is not equal to God. We do not say that the devil creates his own kingdom – he can create nothing. But the enemy works to vitiate God’s kingdom by fouling up what is good, true, and beautiful. He works furiously to spoil God’s work, but he is still God’s creature, only able to sneak around in the dark confusion doing what God allows for a greater good.

In the parable, the master shows no panic when the servants report the weeds. It’s almost as if he expected the enemy would sow them, and he planted the wheat anyway. This is the risk Love takes: knowing the hostility of the enemy and the fragile freedom of our will, God plants us into the Kingdom anyway. We must work to transform the weeds into wheat!

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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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