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Have You Been Born Again?

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No matter how much we learn or study, no matter how refined our culture or advanced our science, these are still bound to earth and limited by our human limits. It is grace and the indwelling of the Spirit of God that free us and allow us to understand and judge with right judgment, to love freely, and to participate fully in all God desires for us.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says that “unless one is born from above, he cannot see the Kingdom of God,” to which Nicodemus (who seems to take this literally) replies, “How can a man once grown old be born again? Surely he cannot reenter his mother’s womb and be born again, can he?” Jesus explains, “Unless one is born of water and Spirit he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.”

We have two “births” then: a physical birth from our mother’s womb, and a spiritual birth from the baptismal font of Mother Church. It is this second “birth” that opens for us the door to the Kingdom of God. “What is born of flesh is flesh,” Jesus says, “and what is born of spirit is spirit.” Our physical eyes see the physical world; we need spiritual eyes to “see” the spiritual realities. It is necessary for us to be “born of water and Spirit” in order to participate in the life of the Spirit, which is the life of the Trinity – the Family of God!

How does this happen? It is mystery. As mysterious as the source and direction of the wind, but the effects are obvious in a person.

This is not to draw an artificial division between our flesh and our spirit, or make “spirit” the opposite of “body” – we are embodied souls, physical and spiritual! This is, rather, to help us see that we cannot remain simply on the level of the “flesh” but must turn our attention to our eternal souls; we cannot simply be content to take care of the body, but we must be attentive to the spirit. The Spirit Jesus speaks about comes “from above” and is sent by the Father: the Holy Spirit.

In the Holy Spirit, we are called and empowered to live IN Christ, not just near Him, not just next to Him. John’s words at the beginning of his Gospel give insight to this: “But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were not born by natural generation nor by human choice nor by man’s decision but of God” (Jn 1:12-13).

Is sacramental Baptism enough? To be born again in Baptism is the beginning, but we must continue to grow in wisdom and spiritual stature and in favor with God! Let’s pray during this Easter season that God will complete the work He has begun in us and bring us to full maturity in the Spirit!

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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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Divine Mercy Sunday

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We all need Mercy don’t we? I am sure this is what Thomas was thinking after doubting the Lord during today’s Gospel. I love the apostles because they are relatable. Here are men who walked with Jesus, saw him perform miracles, saw him literally die and rise from the dead, and still they don’t quite get it. How often is that us? I know more times than not it is me.

We all need mercy. I love the scene in The Passion of the Christ where Peter denies Christ three times and Jesus looks back at him. You can feel the regret and shame in Peter’s look. But Peter did not despair, he allowed God to give him mercy. If you need a little inspiration for this Divine Mercy Sunday I want to encourage two things as a reflection. The first is a beautiful song from Lamb of God where Peter sings about never denying Jesus.

Then from there listen to this video from a friend of mine, Aly Aleigha, who wrote a beautiful song about when Peter denies Christ.

Use these two songs as a starting point and then come face to face with Christ and his mercy on this beautiful Feast day. We have all fallen short, we have all made mistakes, we have all denied Jesus in one way or another. Today, Jesus reaches out. He let’s us know that his love is always stronger.

Don’t think Jesus can forgive you? Your sins are too big? You are too broken? I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from St. Claude de la Columbiere. God Bless you and give you his mercy.

“I glorify You in making known how good You are towards sinners, and that Your mercy prevails over all malice, that nothing can destroy it, that no matter how many times or how shamefully we fall, or how criminally, a sinner need not be driven to despair of Your pardon…It is in vain that Your enemy and mine sets new traps for me every day. He will make me lose everything else before the hope that I have in Your mercy.”

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Tommy Shultz is Director of Evangelization for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative and the founder of Rodzinka Ministries. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. 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. 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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Proclaiming the Goodness of God

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“It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” In the First Reading, this was Peter and John’s response to scribes who told them never to speak of Jesus again. In the Gospel Reading, we are told of Jesus’ first appearance to Mary Magdalene, the woman whom he had driven out seven demons. She automatically went to tell everyone what she had seen and heard. Then we hear of Jesus appearing to two of his companions in the country, who also went out to tell others. Later, we hear of the Eleven were at table when he appeared to them. He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” 

The question for today, is it impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard? This command to go out and proclaim the good news is not just for those in Scripture, but it is a call to each of us today.  We too are called to share the Gospel, the good news to all people! What shall we say? I believe we’re called to share how Jesus has been good to us. During this pandemic, through whatever season you’re in, times or trial or celebration, we are called to share the goodness of the Lord. This morning I listened to this song by Bethel called Goodness of God. I want to encourage you to give it a listen and reflect on all the ways Jesus has been good to you throughout your life. May it be impossible for us not to speak of His goodness, that is what we have seen and heard in our own lives. May we have the courage and grace of the Spirit to go out and proclaim this good news to every creature. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3t6CdeiN1M

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Briana is the Pastoral Minister at St. Mark Church in Cleveland, OH. She is also a district manager at Arbonne. 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 serve the Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Keeping the Brazier Warm

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For most of my life, I never thought much about fishing. I knew I enjoyed eating fish, but I never wondered how they were caught or who caught them. If I gave fishing any time in my head at all, it would have been to imagine a lazy summer afternoon, a line in a river, and a good long wait.

Then I moved to a small town on Cape Cod and—well, you can’t exactly escape thoughts about the ocean when you’re in a place called Land’s End, can you? And my town has a long and rich connection to the sea; once a whaling capital, it transformed into a Portuguese fishing village that, in its heyday, featured forty bustling wharves along the harbor. That’s changed now, of course; the commercial fishing fleet, which once numbered hundreds of vessels, is now down to little more than twenty. But it is still here, and people still make their living that way and believe me when I tell you that it’s absolutely nothing like throwing a line in a river on a hot day in July. 

What fishermen do is hard, and it’s dangerous. If the winds are high and flinging sleet against exposed skin and the temperature hasn’t reached freezing in ten days, they go out. If they’re running a fever and are worried about the sound the motor was making last week, they go out. If they haven’t had a vacation in years and their families want to take off for the weekend, they go out.

Today’s Gospel reading is unusual in many ways, but not, I think, in its portrayal of fishermen. 

I’m imagining the aftermath of the events of Holy Week and Easter. When someone important to us dies, it feels like the earth stands still, doesn’t it? The day after my mother died, I couldn’t believe I had to keep doing all the same things. How could I eat? How could I sleep? How could I go to work? How could I do all the ordinary things in a world that no longer had her in it? There’s a period of shock, a liminal time between Life With Them and Life Without Them.

But then, inevitably and necessarily, life does resume. The world doesn’t stop. You have to pay rent; you have to eat; you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

And that’s where we come upon the disciples. The shock of the crucifixion and the resurrection has worn off, and they have to get back to real life. Life would be different, of course; the three years they’d spent with Jesus, his death and resurrection, would change the world. But not yet. First, they have to find their footing in this new reality, and Peter has an immediate solution: go back home and go out fishing. That’s Peter’s normal.

Because that’s another thing about fishermen, the sea is where they feel they belong, where they’re most comfortable. Their first impulse is to find the waves.

So this group of disciples heads out to fish. To clear their heads. They go back out as if nothing happened. And that’s precisely what does happen: nothing. No fish. It’s not difficult to imagine their frustration as they’re heading back to shore.

Jesus stands there, waiting. His closest friends don’t recognize him, yet when he speaks, extraordinarily, Peter and the others obey a stranger who orders them to do something that makes no sense. 

In my experience, no one can tell a fisherman what to do. The desperately hard lives they lead give them utter self-reliance. It seems to me, in reading this story, that there was something amazing about Jesus, something that deeply affected Peter and the others even when they didn’t recognize him as their Risen Lord. They knew without yet knowing.

The symbolism is there, of course: we’re familiar with what happens next; this passage precedes the one in which Jesus exhorts them to go out and become fishers of men. 

But what strikes me here is the kindness of Jesus. He waits for them to come to shore, the brazier warm, already cooking breakfast for the tired and disheartened men. We—as individuals and as the Church—are called to see Christ in everyone we encounter, and to give Christ to the world. How else can we do that, but through acts of kindness? Jesus’ kindness challenges me, makes me wonder if that’s what I do if I do enough. I know how hard many people’s lives are, the rough seas we all encounter, the poor catches. Do I imitate Christ? Do I keep the brazier warm for others? 

At a time when acts of kindness are so desperately needed in the world, when our particular rough seas and poor catch take the form of a virus and the loss of work, loss of closeness with others, loss of income, loss of security; at this particular time, keeping that brazier warm—sewing masks, donating to food banks, checking in on others via telephone—is the best way to be Jesus to the world. 

Fishermen are determined to go out, no matter what the weather or the circumstances. We can borrow that same determination to show up for our brothers and sisters, to see Christ in them, and to be Christ to them. Keep that brazier warm.

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Jeannette de Beauvoir is a writer and editor with the digital department of Pauline Books & Media, working on projects as disparate as newsletters, book clubs, ebooks, and retreats that support the apostolate of the Daughters of St. Paul at http://www.pauline.org.

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Risen

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Tomorrow marks a week since we mourned in memory of the death of Christ, our most holy sacrifice. Three days later, on Easter, we celebrated His resurrection, our savior rising from the dead!

Last year, I talked about how my friend never knew that Easter was celebrating Jesus’ resurrection. He thought it was a celebration of his life since he had died and gone to heaven, as if it were a wake. If you remember, I actually had the joy of telling him that Jesus rose from the dead and seeing his shock, disbelief, and amazement.

This year, I watched the movie Risen with my family. The movie (watch trailer or here) is the death and resurrection from a Roman soldier’s point of view. This premise reminded me a lot of my friend and what he must have felt when I told him.

I realized while watching the movie that his resurrection was the most radical and amazing thing to occur. Yes, Jesus died, as man does, but He then rose from the dead. He did not return as a zombie, but fully alive! He appeared in and disappeared from locked rooms. He continued performing miracles. 

In the film, several of Jesus’ followers are interviewed and instead of saying things like, “of course, he rose from the dead. He said he would,” we see how joyous, calm, and faithful they are, even while being questioned. They smile and, filled with faith, they say that Jesus is everywhere and that their only weapon is love. 

Y’all. Jesus rose from the dead! 

He is our joy!
He is our peace!
He is our hope! 

Yet while we sit at home, where is our joy? Where is our peace? Where is our hope? Where is our faith?

I ask this of you because I ask it of myself. 

Being back at my parent’s house came with hardships that I had forgotten about. It came with having to be patient with my loved ones. It came with the loneliness of being separated from my friends and the place I’ve come to call home. It came with having to forgive things that I have held on to, so tightly, for so long. It came with testing my spirit of service. It came with humility.

It also came with the bright Texas sunrises, the joy of family, the mix of music, laughter, and birds in the air, as well as the abundance of good food and good times.

There is a silver lining in the midst of these troubling times. There are praises to be sung for life, love, and family. Even in moments like these, we can still have our joy. We can be at peace. We can have hope. We can have all of this because of our Lord that has risen from the grave for each and every one of us. 

If you have the opportunity, watch the movie Risen. Take the time to really reflect on the miracle that our religion is based upon. Re-find your faith. 

Watch Risen on Vudu 
Watch Risen on Amazon
Watch Risen on YouTube 
Watch Risen on Google Play
Watch Risen on iTunes

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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.

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Faith and Gift

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I love the miracle in today’s First Reading. I can just imagine the crippled man that Jesus healed through Peter jumping around whooping and hollering with a big old grin on his face.

He leaped up, stood and walked around, and went into the temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God. (Acts 3:8)

He had never used his legs before. He was crippled from birth. And just as a newborn colt learns to walk in its first few hours of life, this man was hopping around just moments after being healed.

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if Peter’s declaration didn’t work? What if he said “in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk” and the man wasn’t healed? Would John have looked at him and said, “oh well, better luck next time!”? Or would John have tried to perform the miracle himself?

What do we do when God doesn’t answer our prayers? It all comes down to faith and gift. Recall that Jesus healed when the person had great faith. We have to believe in Him. Really and truly BELIEVE. And understand that healing is a GIFT from Jesus, something He freely gives away because He chooses to. Just because He chooses not to heal us in the precise moment we ask Him to, doesn’t mean He is any less God.

On the flip side, what do we do when He does answer us? Do we jump around and praise God in a child-like fashion, even interiorly? Or do we just mumble a quick thanks and take it for granted. “Well after all, He’s God, He’s supposed to give me every good thing.” Are we filled with amazement and astonishment just like those who witnessed this miracle?

I can tell you from my own life, that I had a negative attitude after returning from missionary work in Mexico. I thought I was ready to get married and just assumed that God would immediately send me the perfect husband riding in on a noble steed. It took 11 years for God to answer my prayer. Perhaps my faith was shallow. Perhaps I had some growing up to do. But most of all, I lacked the understanding of gift. I expected God to give it to me out of a false sense of entitlement. Only after a broken heart and some huge lessons did God send me my heart’s desire.

Just as He did to the disciples on the road to Emmaus in today’s Gospel, I can almost hear Jesus chiding me: “How foolish you are [and] how slow of heart to believe!” It took so long for my eyes to be opened to my desperation and recognize that Jesus was there with me all along.

On this glorious day within the Easter Octave, let us allow our hearts to burn with in us because of our great faith in God. Let us recognize what a great gift the Resurrection truly is and proclaim together with all our brothers and sisters, “The Lord has truly been raised!”

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Tami 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 Diocesan, 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.

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Jesus Surprises

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Alleluia! He is Risen! Christ has overcome sin and death to remain with us always!

We, like Mary Magdalene, may believe we can only find Jesus in a certain place in a certain way. She went looking for the body of him who had been crucified and laid in the tomb, so she did not recognize the presence of the One Who Is Risen.

She was seeking him, and he came to her.

This is the surprising and amazing thing: Jesus comes to us. We may be looking for Him elsewhere, thinking that he can only be found in a certain place in a certain way. But He is always right here, calling our name, waiting for us to turn toward Him. But that requires that we turn AWAY from something else – the empty tomb of death, our sin, but also any narrowness of vision that says, subtly, “He MUST BE right here! That is where I last saw Him!”

We don’t usually encounter visible angels along our search, but they are present! Their eyes behold the living God, and they want to open our eyes to His presence; maybe with a question or comment we don’t want to hear, maybe with the salve of repentance. Sometimes, like Mary Magdalene, we are looking right at Him and do not recognize Him. He surprises us. And His presence to us is deeply personal. Do we know how to remain open to the surprises of the Lord? Are our hearts free enough to recognize Him when He calls our name from an unexpected place? Maybe in what seems to us to be a ridiculous comment or question (Why does the Lord so often ask obvious questions like, “Why are you weeping?” “Whom are you looking for?” “Do you want to be healed?” To focus our hearts.)? Maybe in a person we would rather avoid? Maybe in a lonely or difficult place or situation? He is present in all of it and is at work in all of it.

The work of a lifetime is seeking Him in every place and keeping our hearts open to the quiet surprise of His personal presence to us. It takes some spiritual energy and steadfast faith to see in the things of this world the presence of the One for Whom, and through Whom all things exist, and to know that He is present in a deeply personal way to each one of us.

And when we do encounter Him, He always sends us out on a mission. He tells Mary and us, “Go to my brothers and tell them…” What is He sending you out to do? To whom is He sending you? What is He calling you to do for the good of His eternal Kingdom today?

We are each called by baptism to echo the truly Good News that in Jesus Christ, God has definitively conquered sin and death and set us free. The victory is already won! Share the Good News! Alleluia!

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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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Joy in the Risen Christ

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In today’s Gospel, we hear two sides of one story. The first side we hear is the joy of the Resurrection! Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, on their way back from the tomb, encounter the Risen Christ, who tells them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.” The second side we hear is of those who fear and reject the Resurrection. The men guarding the tomb are told by the chief priests to lie when asked about Jesus’ body and to say that the disciples stole the body while the guards were sleeping. Even today, we see this dichotomy between those who embrace Christ’s Resurrection and those who reject it. Those who take joy in Jesus rising from the dead, attempt to spread the Gospel of hope throughout the world. They are those living out Christ’s commands to not be afraid and to spread the Good News. Those who reject the Resurrection are those who spread evil and malice throughout the world and reject the Truth of the Gospel. 

Many of us celebrating the Resurrection this year may be celebrating in a different way than years past. Many of our Masses are canceled, and we are not able to gather in large groups to celebrate the Good News that is the Resurrection of Christ: the rising of Love itself from the dead. In speaking of this Gospel, Pope Francis said, “Let us go back to proclaim, to share, to reveal that it is true: the Lord is alive! He is living, and he wants to rise again in all those faces that have buried hope, buried dreams, buried dignity…Let us go, then.” In this uncertain time, many of us are experiencing desolation and desperation. It is sometimes difficult to recognize the joy of the Gospel when we cannot go and physically spread the Good News. Today’s responsorial psalm calls us to look to our Heavenly Father for refuge and reminds us that He will keep us safe. May we remember this in our times of desolation. May we have hearts like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary: filled with joy at the sight of the Risen Christ! 

I hope, despite current circumstances, that as we enter into this Easter season that we are able to do what Pope Francis urges us to; may we try to give hope to the hopeless, inspire faith in the faithless, and love those who feel unlovable.

“We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song!”
– St. John Paul II the Great

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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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Christ is Risen! Now What?

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Christ is risen! Halleluiah! We have waited a long time to say those words. This has been a tough Lent, but Christ is risen. The question is, now what? 

Today we celebrate, but tomorrow there will still be a worldwide pandemic, there will still be anxiety and fear, there will still be difficult family situations, political agendas, addictions, sins, and suffering. 

So why is that? Isn’t the resurrection supposed to conquer all death? Here is where we come in. Have you let the resurrection and power of God take effect in your life. See, we are all supposed to allow the resurrection into our lives to experience its full power and bring that power into the world. God is not going to force his love and power on us, he wants us to freely accept it and share it. 

Are you going to allow Christ to take your muck and gunk and sin and kill it so that you may rise? Are you going to trust that he has conquered all fear, anxiety, and hurt in you? Are you going to believe that his resurrection has just as much power now as it did two thousand years ago? 

Check out this brief video reflection and Easter message.  I hope it is a blessing to you and I hope you and your loved ones have a Blessed Easter!

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Tommy Shultz is Director of Evangelization for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative and the founder of Rodzinka Ministries. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. 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. 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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Christ Overcame

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Holy Saturday. A day filled with so much anticipation. In just a mere few hours, Easter Vigils will begin all across the country. The waiting is over. The tomb is empty. Christ is risen; let us rejoice … although our celebrations will be more muted this year, due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

There are those out there who assume that, because there is no public celebration of the Mass, that Easter just won’t happen this year. Others may think that Easter is less significant this year, less important, less meaningful. Still, others will wonder if their churches will “push back” the celebration of Easter to the first available Sunday that parishioners are welcome through the doors.

Easter isn’t canceled. Just because we can’t physically gather in our Church buildings and receive the Body of Christ – the same Body of Christ that hung on the cross and the same Body of Christ that rose from the dead – doesn’t mean that this great celebration won’t take place. In fact, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass offered on Easter might be more profound this year. Yes, priests offer up the sacrifice on our behalf at every single Mass but, this year, being the sole persons able to participate in (let alone offer up) the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass that celebrates the reward of that very same sacrifice of Jesus is just … kind of mind-blowing. The priests will celebrate the Mass on our behalf, just like they’ve been doing for the past, “I don’t know how many” weeks. And they will continue to celebrate Mass on our behalf for the weeks to come.

Easter isn’t any less meaningful this year. Jesus still rose from the dead. Jesus still saved us from the consequences of sin and death, reconciled us with God the Father, and gave us the promise of eternal life. All of these things and more are still important and still present to us, even in the midst of chaos.

And, unfortunately, Easter won’t (and can’t) be pushed back. Easter Sunday is an immovable feast day, which can’t just be celebrated at a later time. Hopefully, we will still be in the midst of the Easter season when our local dioceses will resume public celebration of Masses. You may see some aspects of Easter incorporated in your church whenever that moment comes. Maybe there will be a Renewal of Baptismal Promises with a sprinkling rite during Masses like there would have been on Easter Sunday. Maybe all of the Easter lilies and other flowers will linger on the altar a little longer than normal.

I can assure you, though, that whenever the moment is – the church will be abuzz with unbridled Easter joy. That’s what we have to hold on to during this crisis. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Just like we have hope in the Resurrection, we will have our Easter morning.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still uses her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. 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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And We Call It Good

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I have a favorite prayer for after receiving Holy Communion. The Anima Christi. Most of you should be familiar with this prayer. It has been around for a long time. Some encyclopedia says since Medieval times, some attribute it to St. Ignatius Loyola. It doesn’t matter. It is a beautiful pray most suitable for Good Friday. And I happen to love the old language:

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me. 
Blood of Christ, inebriate me. 
Water from the side of Christ, wash me. 
Passion of Christ, strengthen me. 
O Good Jesus, hear me. 
Within Thy wounds hide me. 
Suffer me not to be separated from Thee. 
From the evil one defend me. 
In the hour of my death call me. 
And bid me come unto Thee, 
That with all Thy saints, 
I may praise thee 
Forever and ever. 
Amen. 

One prays for oneself in this prayer. But I want to offer you this next version to use in prayer for others. Especially for those in dire need of your prayer. And perhaps, it’s for all of us on this Good Friday on which we pray alone in our homes, unable to gather together. Fill in the name of the person for whom you are praying:

Soul of Christ, sanctify _____. 
Body of Christ, save _____. 
Blood of Christ, inebriate ______.  
Water from the side of Christ, wash _____. 
Passion of Christ, strengthen _____. 
O Good Jesus, hear me. 
Within Thy wounds hide him/her. 
Suffer him/her not to be separated from Thee.  
From the evil one, defend him/her. 
At the hour of _____’s death, call him/her 
And bid him/her come unto Thee. 
That with Thy saints, he/she may praise Thee forever and ever. Amen 

And may your prayer be answered by our Good and Suffering Christ who died for us this day, and rose on the third day to give us eternal life. May your Triduum prayers be fruitful and your Easter most joyous! 

God Bless.

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Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager at Diocesan, is a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. Jeanne has worked in parish ministry as an RCIA director, in Liturgy, and as a Cantor. Working word puzzles and reading fill her spare time. Jeanne can be reached at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.

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Choosing to be Deliberate

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Please don’t get me wrong, more than anything, I wish I could go to Mass tonight. Tomorrow, I will be wishing I could join my Church family in kissing Jesus’s feet and venerating the cross of his suffering and death, the cross of my salvation. I will miss beginning our Easter Vigil together, that moment of anticipation before it starts when we are chilled by the Michigan Spring twilight, eager for the warmth of the sacred fire. Sometimes you don’t properly appreciate what you have until you have to go without. 

But I have to admit; I am kind of excited by the opportunities present in this time of social isolation. In going without our usual Liturgical Celebrations in our communal church, we can’t gather and watch as the priests, deacons, choir, and servers enact the Mass and other Liturgies on our behalf. We have to actively choose how we will commemorate these three most Holy Days. We have to bring our participation back to our homes, our domestic church. 

The Holy Triduum is not three days of different liturgies. It is one liturgy that takes place over three days (with breaks built in!). In a time when we are set apart from one another physically, we can spiritually set apart these three days from all the others. In a time when the days are starting to run together, and friendly memes remind us to change from our day pajamas to our night pajamas, we can consciously and deliberately choose to make these days stand out.

This year, in ways that reach back to the roots of Catholicism, we choose how to participate, and it may be as simple as dressing up for dinner tonight and reading the Gospel before starting and discussing it during dinner. 

It may be that as a family, we choose to wash each other’s feet. We can say with our words and our actions, “Christ washed his disciple’s feet in an act of love, service, and humility. I wash your feet because I love you as Christ loves us.” 

Maybe, when we recall how Jesus instituted the Mass through the Last Supper, we can remember that in order to participate in the Mass, we need priests. Priests are men who love God so much that they are willing to forgo their own families so they can be Fathers to us. We can thank God for these priests, who, in all their messy humanity, make it possible for us to transcend time and space and be present at the Last Supper. They need our prayers. 

Perhaps, we can make some unleavened bread. When we give thanks for it, we can make a spiritual communion opening up our hearts just like we should each time we meet at the altar. 

This is the evening when Jesus prayed in the garden, instead of heading to bed, maybe we can take some time to sit in the silence and keep him company. 

And maybe, just maybe, we can deliberately allow ourselves to be humbled through this time of social isolation so that when we return to the communal church we won’t be the same people we were when we last left it on the unsuspecting Sunday in March. Maybe next time we will sit in the front row so we can be as close to Jesus as possible. Maybe we’ll arrive early and stay late so as to spend as much time as possible with Jesus. Maybe we’ll listen more closely to the words of the Eucharistic Prayer and be led more deeply into the liturgy. Maybe we will remember that even after this time of separation is over the Catholic Church is the church of “both/and” and we will maintain our immersion in our faith in both our domestic church and our communal church. 

However you spend these next three days, please know that you are in my prayers. May God keep you and your family safe. 

If you would like some ideas on entering into the Holy Triduum more deliberately, please feel free to visit our school website at www.sttwaylandmi.com where we have collected resources from all over to guide you. 

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Sheryl delights in being the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process whether it is studying for classes, deepening their prayer life or discovering new ways to serve together. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Brea, a Bernese Mountain dog and Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever.