Posted on

The Church’s One Foundation

Click here for daily readings

“The Church’s one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord…” A beautiful hymn we sing from time to time as the priest processes toward the altar. These words serve as an important reminder of who we are to build our lives upon.

It takes careful planning and diligence when constructing even a small house. What tools will I need? What materials are going to be most suitable for this environment? The most critical step in the preparation process is deciding what this house will be built on. If the foundation proves to be solid the house will not be in danger of collapsing. However, if the foundation is weak then it will shake with the coming of every minor storm, and in the midst of a great storm, this house will fall.

How much more meaningful then is the preparation and diligence when planning to build our lives. St. Paul describes how we are God’s building and that we must be careful as to how we build ourselves (1 Cor 3: 9-10). Our bodies, which are ourselves, are temples. The Holy Spirit dwells in us. This, at the very least, gives us new eyes as we glance at the mirror and a new love when glancing at our neighbor. We must not, therefore, lay a false foundation upon which we build our lives. If the Holy Spirit is to dwell in me, shouldn’t I make myself hospitable? If I am to do so, it is a necessity that I am built upon a solid truth. There is no foundation but the one foundation: Jesus Christ. When we construct our lives knowing He is the force that keeps us standing we avoid believing the lies that accompany a false freedom.

So will you build your life on something?
Or will you build your life on someone; namely Christ?

Benjamin serves as the Music Minister and Youth Minister at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville, NJ. He teaches Children’s Theatre at the Paper Mill Playhouse and is a Catholic songwriter that has given talks on Confirmation, How to Keep the Faith in College, and The Courage to Choose Life. He can be reached at benjamintyates@gmail.com.

Posted on

Every Sinner Has A Future

Click here for daily readings

“Every Saint Has A Past – Every Sinner A Future”
-Oscar Wilde

Let me tell you a story I heard on NPR’s Story Corps project, which is a collection of stories taped around the United States, told by real people and archived in the Library of Congress. A snapshot, you could say, of life in the USA. This story is about a woman whose teenage son was killed by another teenager in the heat of an argument. The young man was tried as an adult and sent to prison. While in prison, he spent a lot of time reflecting on what he had done and he was convinced that he needed the forgiveness of the mother whom he left without a son. After some time in prison, he started writing to her, asking her to forgive him. But he also asked if she would come to visit him. The woman would not. She could not find it in her heart to forgive and, in spite of the encouragement of her family and friends, refused to visit him in prison. However, after much time had passed, she finally relented and set up a prison visit. She fully expected to see a young teenaged boy there. She was very much taken aback when she saw before her a man, a man showing the effects of his incarceration. No longer a child. Her heart melted, and she took him into her arms in an embrace of understanding love. In that instant, she recounted in tears; her son was back.

When the man was paroled, she was there to meet him, took him into her home and helped him to adjust and to get a job. He, in turn, took her as his mother and did all he could to help her in her aging years. Over time, he bought a house only a few blocks from hers and continued to be her friend and her “son.”

I cried when I heard this story.

“There will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”

Today’s Gospel has the ever-famous story about the shepherd who would not give up looking for the one sheep separated and lost from the herd. We’ve heard this many, many times. And did you ever wonder if it was worth it for the shepherd to spend so much time, travel so far, and, we presume, neglect the rest of the herd, to find this one sheep? Did you ever wonder? Just what was so special about this sheep. Or, perhaps, what is the difference if one little coin is misplaced? It was a lot of work for the woman to deep clean her house until she found it—found it with great rejoicing.

Look at the context of today’s parables. Jesus was dining with and enjoying the company of the, supposed, sinners of the day. At least in the eyes of the Pharisees. Tax collectors! Who were they that the Rabbi should spend time with them? Yes, just who were they? In reality, they are us!

How often have we not given another person a second chance? How often have we kept people locked in the boxes of their sinful past, not willing to recognize where they are now on their road to salvation.  I dare say it happens a lot to all of us. We might even think ourselves as the righteous and forget that we, ourselves, are sinners. We don’t like being defined by our pasts but want to be seen for who we are now. Repentant, changed, and ready to move on within our families, with society at large. Re-read the parables. Jesus has forgiven, has offered us a new life. We must do the same.

I encourage you to reflect for a time today on Oscar Wilde’s quote. I’ve heard it used by Chesterton, by Thomas Merton and many other spiritual leaders when emphasizing that no one is perfect. Even the Saints struggled. But there is redemption for all available through the loving embrace of The Shepherd. Rest on his shoulders and give everyone, as well as yourself, a chance.

God Bless.

Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager here at Diocesan, is currently a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. While at St. Thomas the Apostle, Grand Rapids, Jeanne was a Lector, Cantor, Coordinator of Special Liturgies, Coordinator of lectors and, at one time, chair of the Liturgy Commission. In a past life, secretary/bookkeeper at the Basilica of St. Adalbert where she ran the RCIA program for the Steepletown parishes. And she loves to write! When relaxing, she likes reading and word puzzles. You can contact her at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.

Posted on

What Is Truly Important?

Click here for daily readings

I have recently taken on a few side jobs. Yes, on top of my full-time teaching position. I have done so as a means of stability. Emergencies and bills seem to continue to pile up and overwhelm me. As I love to nanny after teaching hours, I also found another business I love. It’s a network marketing company called Arbonne. I dived into this business for security, but as I attended events, I noticed how established and successful this business is. Many women are attracted by the grand prize of a new Mercedes car and cash bonuses. When they reach a certain level, they can receive a variety of gifts! This is a big deal and motivating for many people.

As I read Today’s Readings, I heard the word of the Lord speak to me and say, “Beloved, I work in you. I work in you through your desires and duties. Strive in your labor for salvation with fear and trembling. Carry your cross without grumbling and questioning. For if you cannot renounce all your material possession to follow me, you cannot be my disciple.”

The First Reading and the Gospel passage spoke this summary of God’s Word to me. My friends, God is not telling us to be living life in fear and shaking. He is articulating to us the gravity of our life’s endeavor, to love and serve Him. We must have our eyes upward. Yes, striving to do well in your work for gracious rewards is nice, but it is not the end all be all. Over and over again, I ask my students in an examination of conscience if they love their toys, video games, makeup, and slime more than they love God?! If you don’t know what slime is, consider yourself lucky…

In all our endeavors of our adult lives, we need our hearts to be grounded in the foundation of what is truly important. In your job right now; in all your side hustles and possible investments, what is your goal? What are you holding as truly important? Is it a luxurious retirement or a new high tech gadget? Depending on how you spend your money and what your intentions are, it is in this deep part of our hearts that we learn to see. We see whether or not we’d be able to leave our possessions to follow Christ. We see whether or not we’d cling to the materials we’ve possessed. We see whether or not we have placed those things above Christ in our hearts.

If you’re striving in the life of ministry and pay, as I am, be assured of my prayers as we work for His Kingdom. If you’re finding new ways or old ways to bring in extra income, know that if your purpose is out of safety and responsibility, you have your eyes on Heaven. Our vocations require prudence and labor. If your heart is more focused on the desire for “things”, let’s redirect it. Ask yourself, “What is important for my heart, mind, and soul? What is important for the wellbeing of my spouse and children? How does God call me into responsibility and prudence?” These questions help us to gain clarity of our heart’s desires. Things are not bad, but we need to make sure they are not at the top of the list. Loving and serving Him should always come first. If we cannot genuinely leave our possessions to take up our crosses and follow Him than something must change.

Briana is a Catholic Doctrine teacher at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel school in Cleveland, OH. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH and is excited to use these skills to bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

Posted on

Sharing Is Caring

Click here for daily readings

We’ve all heard the term “sharing is caring,” but what happens when it’s someone we don’t necessarily care for?

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us a parable of a man having a dinner party. The man invites many of his friends and when everything is ready, all of his guests let him know that they cannot attend. Instead of cancelling the dinner, he asks his servants to go out and bring people in from the city streets. Servants let him know that there is still plenty of room, so he asks them to go to the highways and countryside to invite still more people.

Even though I know this parable describes how we should behave, my reaction was pretty much, “Wow I wish that I could be like this guy, but man, I don’t think I could. Goals, though, am I right?”

This knee-jerk reaction was something that I think people can connect to because it comes easily, almost naturally, to want to help those who we love or who have helped us. Our loved ones have been there for us through so much, so there isn’t much hesitation in wanting to help them. This kind of charity is wonderful, but can we honestly say that we would do the same for strangers?

Do we personally extend our charitable acts to those on the street? The poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame are all Jesus Christ in the form of a stranger. Do we personally extend our charitable acts to the those in the highways? Those we pass on the road, meet in gas stations, stand or sit next to on public transportation are all Jesus Christ in the form of a stranger. Yes, even the person who crossed five lanes of traffic only to cut you off as you’re taking the exit ramp.

Anyone can help a friend or a family member, but it takes someone with true faith in God, true knowledge of charity, and true belief in giving hope to help a stranger. So I challenge you to live out true charity.

As winter approaches, consider making care kits for the homeless. Besides water and snacks, be sure to include a new pair of thick socks and gloves. Most importantly, write handwritten words of Christian encouragement and love to let them know that God has not forgotten them.

For more information on what to include in care packages for the homeless, click here.

Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

Posted on

Finding Inner Peace

Click here for daily readings

We have 3 short passages from the Bible today. As I sit with them, I realize that I have found my peace, just as our psalm today asks us to respond. Hmmm…That has not been true during most of my life, being at peace. “Something is different about you. You seem at peace,” I have heard only recently, over the last few years.

The responsorial psalm says it well for me, “I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me.”  So how do I get there and stay there?

Something that resonates with me comes from one of my spiritual giants, St. Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa said that peace begins with a smile. Her service to others, being present to them in whatever circumstance, has been a beautiful witness for me to strive for, but don’t misinterpret me here. I will probably never encounter abject poverty as she did in Calcutta. I do, however, have opportunities all around me if I choose to see them.

I seem to have gotten ahead of myself though, (which is usually how I come to most of my understandings, a very circuitous route (like Dennis the Menace).

I have learned I must put into my schedule things which force me to slow down, or learn through much trial and error, that the whole world still continues without me. I don’t have to schedule something during what would usually be personal family time, even if it’s something really good.

One way I’ve learned to make time was finding a spiritual director when I began parish work in the late ‘90s. Having a spiritual director allows me time to sit with, struggle and/or notice movements of God and the Holy Spirit in my life. These conversations have graced me by looking at situations with new eyes. They have been oasis times in the chaos of my daily life.

I offer you the following to think about where you find your inner peace.

The Giving Tree  On Being Useless  Shalom (the peace of the kingdom of God be with you).

Beth Price is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and spiritual director who has worked in several parish ministry roles during the last 20 years. She is a proud mother of 3 adult children. Beth currently works at Diocesan. You can contact her at bprice@diocesan.com. 

Posted on

First Comes Love

Click here for daily readings

The words in today’s First Reading from Deuteronomy are pivotal in the Mosaic Law and are now known as the Shema, part of the monotheistic profession of faith recited by Jews twice a day and the centerpiece of the morning and evening prayer services: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one.

It is interesting to note that for Jews, to recite this prayer is to reaffirm a personal relationship with God’s rule, and with “receiving the kingdom of heaven;” it is often recited at the point of death. It was well-known to Jesus’ hearers and to the scribe who posed the question. Still, his inquiry about which commandment is the most important is a legitimate one, as the rabbis had enumerated 613 precepts of the Law, 248 commands, and 365 prohibitions; the relative importance of these ritual ordinances, precepts, and expressions of natural law was a common subject of discussion. While the Shema was recited twice a day, its importance could be obscured by the fact that it was immediately followed by rules about temporal prosperity and the wearing of tassels.

This scribe seems to ask the question in goodwill, looking for clarity. Jesus affirms that the commandment of primary importance is to love God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength (every power of our body and soul must be put in service to God!). Then he adds something surprising: the commandment of next importance is to love others as oneself (this comes from Leviticus 19:18, but was often obscured by other texts, like “an eye for an eye,” in Leviticus 24:19-20).

What would be surprising to the original listeners is that Jesus brings this law of loving others to the forefront by setting it beside – and making it inseparable from – the need to love God completely, with one’s whole being. It’s important for modern listeners to note the order Jesus gives these: first we must love God wholly, and then our love of others flows from it.

This sums up all man’s duties to God and to others, and the scribe acknowledges the wisdom Jesus has spoken. He expresses a clear understanding of the teaching of the prophets that the interior disposition of charity and fulfilling the moral law were superior to the external ritual of sacrifice; in many ways, this was obscured by the Pharisees’ emphasis on external expressions. The scribe replies that these laws of love are “worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Love is the goal; ceremonial worship is a means. Jesus responds to this summary by affirming that he is not far from the kingdom of God.

When we profess and believe that God is one and that we love Him with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, we draw close to Him and are empowered to bring His love to others by self-sacrificing service.

Loving God is first. Loving others must flow from this first love.

Kathryn is married to Robert, mother of seven, grandmother to two, and a lay Carmelite. She has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and also as a writer and voice talent for Holy Family Radio. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and presenter, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, individual parishes, and Catholic ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Learn more at www.kathryntherese.com or on Facebook @summapax.

Posted on

Baptized Into His Death

Click here for daily readings

“For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.”

The past few days of readings have been about death. Today we hear that death is gain and yesterday we heard that we are baptized into Christ’s death. All this death talk seems like a lot of doom and gloom, after all, death is not something that we enjoy, so how can it be something that we gain and something we are baptized into?

Do you remember the movie Alladin? At the end of the movie Jafar, the villain of the film, asks to become the most powerful genie in the entire world. Alladin grabs the lamp and reaches it to the sky as Jafar spirals into his new prison because if you have seen the movie, you know that if you are going to be a genie, you have to accept everything that goes with it. It can seem this way with death too.

As human beings, death is now a part of us, and we have to accept everything that goes with it. When we were born, we inherited the death that Adam and Eve brought into the world through sin. We lost our inheritance of perfect love with God and each other. This seems like something that enslaves us and certainly does not seem like a positive thing. So why all this talk about being baptized into Christ’s death?

Well, death can only be seen as a positive thing in this world through the lens of the cross. If we think of Christ as the new Adam who has come into the world to mend our relationship with God, then it makes sense to be baptized into His death. After all, Christ’s death is the fact that He conquered it and rose. This is what we are baptized into.

St. John Paul II once said, “He (man) is called in that truth which has been his heritage from the beginning, the heritage of his heart, which is deeper than the sinfulness inherited.” What he is saying here is that our inheritance of grace and love of God and neighbor goes far deeper than the inheritance of original sin. What Christ has done on the cross is brought us back into this inheritance that we long for, while destroying the inhertiance of sin through His ressurection. This indeed is cause for great joy.

Let us thank God for the gift of the cross, the gift that allows us to live by the original love and truth that we were given from the beginning, before sin and before death. Amen!

“For we are an Easter people, and Alleluia is our song!”
-St. John Paul II

Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a 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. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

Posted on

Hope Of The Faithful Departed

Click here for daily readings

“May the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”

It’s something my family has said at the end of every prayer before we eat since I was very young. I suppose I’d never really given it much thought until I was well into college. What a beautiful thing to do: remember and pray for those who have parted from this world at such a communal time. The ‘faithful departed’ are those who trusted in the mercy of God and hoped for life with Him. Saying that little prayer at the beginning (or end) of a meal is a wonderful way to pray for those souls in purgatory as well as remind ourselves that we are not made for this world, we are made for eternal life in Heaven with God our Father.

In the Gospel today we hear of Christ’s promise of redemption. A promise filled with love and with hope. We are reminded that, from the very beginning of creation, it has been God’s will that we spend eternity in communion with Him. He sent His Son so that we might inherit eternal life and He wants nothing more than to share the joy of His Kingdom with us. Christ Himself is saying this! It isn’t hearsay, we aren’t hearing it third-hand, it is Christ’s message of redemption directly to each individual person. As St. Paul tells the Romans, it is love that makes Christ’s passion and resurrection possible; the love that God has for each and every one of us despite our sinfulness. Through our baptism, we are united with Christ and His plan and are given “newness of life”. Those who live their lives with Christ have nothing to fear in death for they will only be truly united with the One for whom they were made. Death is hope, not despair. After death, we find the fulfillment of our earthly desire for unity with Christ and His infinite love.

So let us not distance ourselves from death and forget that Heaven and life with God is our ultimate goal. May we always keep the faithful departed in our prayers and look forward to eternal life with our Creator.

“Eternal Father, I offer you the most precious blood of the Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal Church, for those in my home and in my family. Amen” -St. Gertrude the Great-

Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO is studying for her Master’s in Spanish, and loves her job as an elementary school librarian. She is engaged 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.

Posted on

Power, Pleasure, Prestige, Position, Possessions

Click here for daily readings

The Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes. We have heard them so often, seen them on posters, Facebook art, Instagram, even our daily planners… maybe we forget how revolutionary these words of Jesus are.

Jesus signals to the crowd that this is serious and official by sitting down. When rabbis sat down to teach, it meant that their words were official and doctrinal (we still refer to this tradition when we refer to the “Chair of Peter”, from which we receive official statements of the Church). Another signal we might miss because of the translation is the phrase “he began to teach them”; literally translated, this would say “he opened his mouth,” a phrase indicating an official declaration in the ancient world. St. Matthew tells us that Jesus went up the mountain – from whence the Law was given – and then sat down and opened his mouth; all this is to help us understand that Jesus is teaching something in a rather solemn way, from his Heart.

Each statement Jesus gives us in the Beatitudes is intended to overturn our very natural way of thinking, to proclaim that God’s ways are not our ways and that the Kingdom is established deep within every human heart and not necessarily obvious to worldly eyes. Unlike the rich and powerful of this world, who maintain their position by violence and treachery and self-will, citizens of the Kingdom of God are often oppressed and yet blessed. They are poor, mourning the present state of life, meek and insignificant to the world, yearning to live rightly according to the righteousness of God, merciful to others, pure of heart, sowing peace in the world. These words of Jesus turn worldly wisdom on its head. In our own world, we might read them as “Blessed are you if you are not driven by the desire for power, pleasure, prestige, position, possessions, good feelings, etc…Blessed are you if you are kind and merciful like the Father.”

Jesus says something else that is revolutionary: he links his teaching to himself. He does not say, “Here are some good rules, and you will be blessed even when you are persecuted for following them.” Rather, he says, “Blessed are you when they insult and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of ME. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” The connection between what Jesus says and his very PERSON is unique in all of history; we must not simply accept his teaching, we must adhere to HIM. To the Jews, these were very strange words. They should not be strange to us! We must know Christ, adhere to Christ and be transformed in Christ so that we can be “other Christs” and bring God’s love and mercy to others.

This is what the Gospel is all about.

Kathryn is married to Robert, mother of seven, grandmother to two, and a lay Carmelite. She has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and also as a writer and voice talent for Holy Family Radio. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and presenter, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, individual parishes, and Catholic ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Learn more at www.kathryntherese.com or on Facebook @summapax.

Posted on

O Death, Where Is Your Victory?

Click here for daily readings

Recently my five-year-old and four-year-old sons were having a discussion about how Jesus was born on Christmas and rose on Easter, and at one point they ask, “So what happened to Jesus on Halloween?” Today, the eve of All Saints begins the Church’s annual three-day reflection on death and the afterlife that will end on the feast of All Souls. On this occasion I wanted to change my son’s question around a bit and ask, “What happened to death because of Jesus?”

Physical death is the moment when our soul is separated from our body. This may seem like the natural end of things, a part of God’s design, but the opposite is the case. Death is evil, that is, death ought not be and wasn’t what God had intended. Human beings were not meant to die. Our souls were not meant to be separated from our bodies and our bodies were not meant to decay. The Catechism says, “Death is a consequence of sin…Even though man’s nature is mortal God had destined him not to die. Death was therefore contrary to the plans of God the Creator and entered the world as a consequence of sin” (CCC 1008).  

The original sin of Adam is what brought death into the cosmos, it is where “death makes its entrance into human history” (CCC 400). And while you and I aren’t personally guilty of this first sin we still suffer the consequences of it because all of humanity is mysteriously united together and all of our sins are related to that original sin. As St. Paul says, “Through one person sin entered the world, and through sin, death, and thus death came to all, inasmuch as all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

But just as all of us are mysteriously united to the sin of Adam we are also all united to the resurrection of Jesus, “For just as through the disobedience of one person the many were made sinners, so through the obedience of one the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:19). The Catechism says that “Death is transformed by Christ” (CCC 1009). Notice that the Catechism doesn’t say that Jesus corrected or undid death. No, he transformed it. “The obedience of Jesus has transformed the curse of death into a blessing” (CCC 1009). For “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20).

Through our baptism, we participated in the death of Christ. Through baptism, God transforms us into “other Christs” (CCC 2782). Heaven isn’t some abstract “being with God.” Rather, heaven is fully participating in God’s divine nature, “For the Son of God became man so that we might become God” (CCC 460). Heaven isn’t some place we go after we die but rather the completion of our transformation into God, a process of transformation that began at Baptism.

Jesus took death, this evil consequence of our sin, and transformed it into the gateway to eternal life. Because of Christ, we are able to pray like St. Francis, “Praised are you, my Lord, for our sister bodily Death.” Or like St. Paul, “Death is swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55).

So on this eve of All Saints Day, I invite you to reflect on the reality of death. What is Jesus trying to tell us as we face our own death or the death of loved ones? What does our Father want to say to us in the face of the profound fear and sorrow surrounding death? When her brother died, our Lord said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Jesus, give us the faith to believe.

Paul Fahey is a husband, father, and a parish director of religious education. He can be found at his website, Rejoice and be Glad: Catholicism in the Pope Francis Generation.