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Bearing Good Fruit

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As soon as I walk in the door from any given workday, I am ambushed by a barrage of “Mommy!!!” “Hi Mommy!” and “Yeah! Mommy’s home!!” My usually subdued workplace atmosphere gives way to the chaos of several littles as I try to get dinner on the table while listening to their stories and their complaints. 

Sometimes these moments are overwhelming. Sometimes my reactions are not loving. Sometimes I wish I had some earplugs. Sometimes, I remind myself to take a step back and take it all in while it lasts. 

I often feel like I’m in the midst of a whirlwind. One day blows into the other at a rapid pace. The years go by in the blink of an eye. Am I behaving as I should as a Catholic Christian?

Today’s Psalm implores: “Teach me the ways of your decrees”. I do want to live in the ways of the Lord and I want to teach my children to live that way too. Everything I do matters. Every comment I make, every tone of voice I emit, will affect them in one way or another. Teach me your ways, Oh Lord, teach me your ways. 

The Gospel tells us: “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit.” I long to be that good tree that bears fruits of goodness in my children. There are days that I hear sarcasm come out of their mouths and I say to myself, “I taught them that.” And there are other days that I hear them say, “I shared with my brother today” and I taught them that too. 

The daily struggle between good and evil is real, but if we remember to ask the Lord to teach us His ways, He can make that good fruit grow within us. 

May our children, and all those we meet, encounter Christ through our good fruits.

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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 projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at for Christian Healthcare Centers, 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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Pearls of Faith

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Discerning what the teaching, “do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,” means in your life can be a little perplexing. The language is strange, and this verse may take extra prayer and even a little research to fully comprehend Jesus’ intended lesson. Additionally, “lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces” seems a little harsh, yet we trust Jesus, and those who recorded His words, never include filler—every word has purpose. 

There is nothing more holy than the Eucharist—the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. To receive this gift, our hearts must be properly prepared. On Corpus Christi Sunday, in dioceses across the nation, the USCCB launched the National Eucharistic Revival, “three years for discernment, encounter, and grassroots response on the diocesan, parish, and individual levels” to (re)kindle a living, loving relationship with Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist. 

In John’s Gospel, Jesus reveals the difficult teaching of His Real Presence in the Eucharist: “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Many followers walked away, confused and unable to accept Jesus’ gift of himself in the Eucharist. He did not use those next moments to talk of symbolism but instead looked to those remaining and inquired if they, too, would leave. It is being able to embrace this difficult yet true teaching of the Catholic faith that leads through the narrow gate, also presented in today’s Gospel. The one that leads to life, Jesus tells us, although those who find it are few. There are many reasons we fail to enter the narrow gate— doubt, fear, caution, or merely unwillingness to allow the mystical to reveal something to us this world cannot.

Faith is a gift. Gifts are only useful if they are received, opened, and used. In light of today’s Gospel, when we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten our hearts about the holy things of God, we are truly casting them down before swine. They will be trampled into pieces and, maybe even unwittingly, miss out on one of the most incredible gifts God has prepared for us. We can be no closer to Christ than when we receive Him in the Eucharist. The greatest gift God has given us is his Son, who took on flesh, our sins, and the suffering meant for us so that we may one day be with Him forever in heaven.

Do not cast your faith away. Do not let it be trampled under foot by worldly cares, cynicism, or confusion. As Matthew 7:7 so wisely counsels, ask, seek, knock, trusting the Lord will answer the door of your heart and He will answer your questions. Like the centurion in Mark’s Gospel, let us pray in those weak, faltering moments so as not to be lost, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” It is in prayer where we open our hearts to be renewed and redeemed by the God who loves us enough to be consumed under the guise of bread and wine so that we may have eternal life. 

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Allison Gingras is a Deacon’s wife and seasoned mom of three. Allison works for Family Rosary as a social media and digital specialist, as well as a new media consultant for Catholic Mom and the Diocese of Fall River. She is the author of Encountering Signs of Faith: My Unexpected Journey with Sacramentals, the Saints, and the Abundant Grace of God (Fall 2022, Ave Maria Press). Allison developed the Stay Connected Journals for Women series including her two volumes – The Gift of Invitation and Seeking Peace (OSV). She’s hosted A Seeking Heart with Allison Gingras podcast since 2015.

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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.

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Leave the Judging to God

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It really is easy to judge others. And often we cloak it as help or worry or wanting what is best for the other person. Why aren’t we to judge others? It’s simple, we are not God. We don’t know the whole story. We don’t have the big picture. We compare ourselves and decide about the other person’s life or motive without ever talking to them. We may even use shame or try to manipulate when we judge. 

We say we are judging because we don’t want the person to sin. But before we go talk to someone about stopping a particular sin, we need to make sure of our motive. The best way to learn if we have the right intention is to ask God. In prayer, ask if you are supposed to do something about the problem you see. And God will let you know if you are to speak. You see, Jesus is telling us not to judge, not because He is unconcerned with sin but because He wants you to be right with God before you do anything. And then, this is the verse that gets to me the most, one of those that always makes me pause and think, “For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.” And that judgment, that measure will come from God. 

I cannot judge others. I am too harsh. When I was growing up, it was the time of ‘Jesus loves you.’ Yes, Jesus loves you, but there is much more to Him. There was rarely talk of sin or punishment. We did not know that God was justice and mercy. All we heard about was love, not even mercy. It was as if we had no need for mercy. Yet, we need all God offers us.

And that is the point Jesus is making in these verses from Matthew. God will judge, with great justice and mercy and love. Jesus wants us to leave the judging to the Father so that we can be free to live as His followers. 

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Deanna G. Bartalini, M.Ed.; M.P.A., is a certified spiritual director, writer, speaker and content creator. The LiveNotLukewarm.com online community is a place to inform, engage and inspire your Catholic faith. Her weekly Not Lukewarm Podcast gives you tips and tools to live out your faith in your daily life.

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This is My Body

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As noted in today’s Gospel reading, our central role in honoring Christ should be one of service. Jesus commands us to “Give them some food yourselves.” CCC 1335 of the Catechism reads “The miracles of the multiplication of the loaves, when the Lord says the blessing, breaks and distributes the loaves through his disciples to feed the multitude, prefigure the superabundance of this unique bread of his Eucharist.” It is such a great visual, to partake in the miracle where Jesus took ordinary food and turned it into something extraordinary! Yet this was a foreshadowing that something much greater was to come.   

When asked the most quoted verse in all the Bible, we turn to “This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” This is a verse we hear every time we celebrate in the most Holy Mass. It is a statement that is so well known, and yet, so difficult for so many to understand. Is there any dogma more central to that of Catholicism than recognizing that Jesus Christ is truly present in the Holy Eucharist? It is for this reason that attending Mass is so sacred. 

Like many, I struggled through the pandemic with being physically removed from the ability to receive Communion. In fact I am still struggling as of now, as services available on the TV which can be watched without the preparation of getting up and out to Mass remain available. Yet reading through today’s readings, I must be moved to remember the central essence of being Catholic, that whether a priest or a layperson, we are called to be part of the family of Christ, which can be best exemplified by being together in unity at Church and receiving Christ within us, so that we too can be his disciples and spread His message of love and redemption to all the world.

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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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God Always Provides

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I know I am not the only one feeling the squeeze. With gas over $5.00 a gallon and groceries 20-30% higher than they were just a few months ago, the financial stress is real. Yes, we are doing what we can to cut back. Yes, we are trying to spend as little as possible. And yes, I do my fair share of complaining about it. 

Over the weekend, I said a few things I shouldn’t have and felt bad about it. Among them, was complaining about the aforementioned issue. My husband said to me, “It’s not like you’re the only one paying that much for gas or the only one paying that much for food. I don’t know why you’re complaining about it. Everyone is struggling with it.” 

It was a simple statement, but one I needed to hear. We are all in this together, folks, whether we like it or not, and all we can do is do our best to continue providing for our families. 

Today’s Gospel was exactly what I needed to hear and I hope it is balm to your soul as well. 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink,

or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds in the sky;

they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns,

yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are not you more important than they?

Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?

Why are you anxious about clothes?

Learn from the way the wild flowers grow.

They do not work or spin.

But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor

was clothed like one of them.

If God so clothes the grass of the field,

which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow,

will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’

or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’

All these things the pagans seek.

Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.

But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and all these things will be given you besides.

Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” (Matthew 6)

God has always taken care of us, my friends, and He will continue to do so. Let us hold on to hope and ask Him for a greater trust that His grace will provide all that we need.  

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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 projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at for Christian Healthcare Centers, 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 Eyes

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I have always been fascinated by eyes: person, animal, insect, it doesn’t matter. I have noticed them on all creatures as I encounter them in my life. Several months ago I called out to a young woman as I was approaching my favorite bakery. We were both masked and she was clearly startled. She replied, “No, that’s my sister’s name. How did you know to ask?” “It’s your beautiful eyes. You have the same eyes.” I hadn’t seen either of these bright adult women in several years as they were my children’s classmates.

The eyes stay in my memory of family and friends, acquaintances and passers by. In the Gospel today Jesus speaks of the eye being the lamp of the body. He tells us that when the eye is good, our whole body is filled with light; if it’s not, the whole body is in darkness. He then cautions, “And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.”

Open the Eyes of My Heart, by Michael W. Smith and Open My Eyes, by Jesse Manibusan, are songs that ask God for grace and love to see the world with Jesus’ eyes. The artist Akiane (at the age of 8) painted ‘Prince of Peace’, a portrait of Jesus whose eyes seem able to penetrate all time and every viewer.

What do my eyes portray to others? Do I possess a warming light which conveys love or a light which is filled with cold darkness?

O Lord, open my eyes to see you. Allow my eyes to look upon the world as your Son, Jesus Christ did, with love and compassion. I ask for guidance from the Holy Spirit to bring the light of God into my heart, my mind, my work, my community, and throughout all the world. 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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Our Father, Who Art in Heaven

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In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus teaches the Apostles to pray the Our Father. If we reflect on this beautiful prayer, we cannot help but get a glimpse of God’s love for us.

So today, I want to just focus on three sections of the Our Father. 

The first is “thy will by done.”

How often do we fall into the trap of doing our own will or doing the will of something or someone of this world? We often forget that we were created to know, love, and serve God, and it is to Him we must look for guidance. Our faith teaches us that we must not put anything before God, and while we say that of course we don’t have false idols, we have to remember that false idols come in many forms. They are computer screens, TVs, phones, money, material possessions, even other people. If we are constantly doing our will or listening only to our own words, how will we ever hear God’s? Then how will we do His will? Only when we open ourselves to Him, only when we listen for His voice, and only when we sit quietly will we grow closer to Him and know what He desires for us.

The second is “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Have you ever stopped to think about what this really means? We are telling God that we expect Him to forgive us in the manner in which we have forgiven others. That makes you think, doesn’t it? So often we hold grudges, we become bitter, or we flat-out refuse to forgive someone who has wronged us. But this isn’t the way God wants us to live our lives. If we live like this, we are closing ourselves to His joy and to His love. We are filling ourselves up with anger and resentment when we could be filling ourselves up with His mercy and love. Forgiveness isn’t easy, and God understands that. But we have to at least try. So, today, if you are having difficulty forgiving someone, go to God in prayer and ask for His help. Ask Him to teach you the mercy that He shows when you present yourself in the confessional.

And finally, let us think about the words “lead us not into temptation.” 

Temptations abound in our secular world. Sometimes it seems that we are bombarded on all fronts. It could be something as simple as an overindulgence in sweets—a temptation that harms our bodies in a small way. It could be the temptation to sleep in and miss Mass. Or it could be the temptation to a more serious vice. We know our hearts, and we can be assured that God knows them too. Today, let us think about the things in life that tempt us, and let us work to let them go.

And let us take time today to pray this prayer, to reflect on God’s words, and to open our hearts to the Lord who loves us so much that we cannot even fathom it.

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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 19 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. Thirteen 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 executive 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. You can reach her at slochner0.wixsite.com/website.

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The Right Thing for the Wrong Reasons

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I know many people complain that our modern society lives for attention on social media, photographing adventures or good deeds solely to post pictures on social media for others to admire their courage, thoughtfulness, beauty, etc. I have heard people say, “Pictures or it didn’t happen!” It’s as though nothing matters unless others see it.

So when I hear Jesus warning us in today’s Gospel not to pray, fast, or give alms so that others notice, I take comfort in knowing that this phenomenon has plagued human nature for centuries. Even people in Jesus’s time were doing good, holy things more for attention than for their souls. The temptation to care more about what others think than what God thinks has been there since the dawn of time, it just is in a different form in our modern times.

As we contemplate today’s readings, may God help us to remember that He is the only one who can see us clearly, and His opinion of us is the only one that matters in the long run.

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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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A Whole New Game

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Today we encounter one of the most difficult teachings of Jesus – to “love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you.” These words, central to all of Christian teaching and thought, have troubled our broken human nature since they were uttered. Jesus then goes on to give examples of exactly how just God is with His creatures and how equal His love for all of them is. The sun shines on the good and bad, and rains fall on the just and the unjust. Being good earns you no special favors, and equally important, doing evil does not cut you out of God’s gracious consideration.

Our human sensibilities bristle at this type of world order. We expect just punishment for crimes committed. We expect those who have done evil to have evil befall them and are quick to associate unfortunate circumstances with poor decisions. And, because our egos are so massive, we would like to see God follow in our footsteps. How naïve and illogical we are! The created do not lead the Creator. It is the Creator who shapes the creature and gives it space to move in. 

Jesus is truly God and truly man. This means that while He is fully God, he also fully understands human nature. Understanding, however, doesn’t mean that Jesus made accommodations for it. Instead, as St. Anselm so captivatingly put it, “The Son of God became man so that we might become God.” Jesus takes our human nature and draws us up into the divine nature. We aren’t supposed to remain on our playing field. We are called to a wholly new game, one with divine rules. 

One of the most fundamental rules is what Jesus teaches us today. That all people, no matter who they are, or aren’t, to us, are worthy of our love and prayers.

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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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Love’s Response to Evil

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In today’s Gospel we hear the famous words of Christ to “turn the other cheek” to those who are evil. The command “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” was an Old Testament law intended as part of a justice system. By Jesus’ time, however, the law was no longer being used as it was intended. It is for that reason, therefore, that Jesus elevates the Old Testament law and instead calls us to return evil with love rather than revenge. 

This is not an easy thing for us to hear or an easy command for us to follow. Oftentimes we do not return “an eye for an eye” out of revenge but we do so in self defense and out of a sense of self preservation. Our intention is to look out for ourselves. I think it is easy for us to fixate on questioning why Jesus would want us to simply accept evil when we encounter it rather than combating it. He is not telling us that we should endure hateful, abusive, or uncharitable relationships. Rather, I think He is saying that evil does not go away when fought with more evil. I am reminded of the words of Martin Luther King, Jr: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that”. This is what Jesus wants us to understand. We are called to be the light that drives out darkness and the love that drives out hate in our world. Jesus came as the Light of the World and it is our mission to continue to be that light until we are united with Him in His heavenly kingdom. 

Christ is the perfect example of turning the other cheek. He faced immense hate and evil in His life but He responded to everything He endured with love. The very reason He endured His Passion and Death was out of love for us. He gave His life for us who have nothing to give Him out of pure love and so that we can be fully united with Him.

Jesus’ purpose in His command is to urge us to be humble and charitable in all situations, not just those in which it is easy to practice humility and charity. If we return evil with love, we will be that much more willing and able to show charity to those who ask a service of us. We will also be more able to give more to those who have nothing. 

Today, on the Feast of St. Anthony of Padua, may our prayer be that of St. Anthony: “Lord Jesus, bind me to You and to my neighbor with love. May my heart not be turned away from You. May my soul not be deceived nor my talent or mind enticed by allurements of error, so that I may never distance myself from Your love. Thus may I love my neighbor as myself, with strength, wisdom, and gentleness, with Your help, You who are blessed throughout all ages. Amen.”

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Dakota lives in Denver, CO with her husband, Ralph, and their two sons, Alfie & Theophilus. She is the Dean of Enrollment Management for Bishop Machebeuf High School where her husband also teaches. You can find Dakota at the zoo or a brewery with her family or with her nose in a book at home. For more of Dakota’s writing check out https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com/

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