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Faith and Works

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Today in the first reading, we have the classic text that is used to justify a faith alone mentality or the idea that merely having an intellectual belief that does not involve an act of the will, is enough to be saved. This idea circulates amongst many religions and has quite a level of misunderstanding about Catholic Teaching.

I have heard people say that Catholics have to earn their way into heaven, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The Catechism states that “The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us ‘the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ’ and through Baptism.” (CCC 1987)

So we believe as Catholics that we are justified by the power of God, not anything that we do. We are not able to earn our way into heaven; it is a free and beautiful gift granted to us by God himself. So why all the confusion? When Catholics say we need both faith and works, what we mean is that we are justified by faith, but we have to assent to it in our will, which leads to action. Our faith cannot just be intellectual ideas, but it must be realized and lived.

This is truly a beautiful understanding of faith. You wouldn’t tell your wife you love her and then not act on it. The reality of love would be so strong in your will that it inspires you to do something. This takes love from a fluffy sentimentality or abstract concept into a tangible action of the will. Being baptized is an action; praying for forgiveness is an action, loving God is an action.

We do not believe that loving God will earn us our salvation, but we do believe, in most instances, that we need a relationship with him in order to spend eternity with him. That is biblical. I think about these truths often in relation to theology. I love studying and reading about theology, but it is easy to keep theology on a level of the abstract. Theology must always pierce into the practicals of life. It must go from thinking about God to loving and experiencing him. Otherwise, it loses its depth and beauty.

St. Thomas Aquinas understood this well after seeing the vision of God and then promptly asking his brothers to burn all of his writings because they are but straw in relation to what he just experienced. Today’s first reading allows us to experience in a small way that the vision that Aquinas had. I couldn’t help but read it and be overcome by joy that we are justified by faith in Christ Jesus. No matter how many times we fall, God will forgive. But we still have to do our part and accept and cooperate with that grace.

If you struggle with this at all, be encouraged. I know I have struggled with the fact that God could still love me after everything I have done. We can think our sin is too strong to be given justification. If this is you, I want to leave you with one of my favorite quotes from St. Claude de la Colombiere, who said, “I glorify you God in making known how good you are towards sinners. That your mercy prevails over all malice, that nothing can destroy it. That no matter how many times we fall or how shamefully 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.” From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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.

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Try the Mirror First

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Not long ago, I was out for coffee with an acquaintance when an extremely overweight person was seated next to us—with some difficulty, because there wasn’t quite enough room between the table and the bench to fit his girth. My companion sighed ostentatiously and made a bit of a show of moving over and giving the man more room, and my heart went out to him. He was so apologetic. He looked so miserable. And when, afterward, I asked my acquaintance why she’d responded as she did, she seemed surprised. “It’s his fault for being fat,” she said. “If he’d just buckle down and lose the weight, he wouldn’t be such a freak.”

“But you don’t know,” I said. “How can you blame him when you don’t know his story?”

I couldn’t wait to get away from her, to tell the truth, and as I was walking away there was a flurry of words that went through my mind. Sanctimonious, I thought. Judgmental. I resolved to see as little of her in future as possible.

It didn’t occur to me until much later that I was guilty of the very things I’d accused her of. Because, while no, we didn’t know his story, neither did I know hers. And it also occurred to me that it’s precisely when we’re accusing others of being judgmental that we’re possibly the most guilty of it.

Saint Paul knew us well. You have no excuse, he reminds us. You have no excuse for judging others.

The truth is, God’s the only one who knows what’s behind other people’s (or even, sometimes, our own) actions. And the irony is that being judgmental isn’t even a behavior that serves us. We judge others because we need to feel better about ourselves.  It may make us feel superior or secure in the short term, but the long-term stress of never feeling good enough can lead to a host of health issues. And that’s without bringing Saint Paul into it!

I can’t say how many times I’ve heard the advice of not judging others until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes—or, to be less picturesque, until you know their story, know what drives their behavior. How do you put yourself in someone else’s shoes? I’m not sure I’m always able to do it, but one thing I’ve found helpful is this: imagine that person’s reaction if you were to share your criticisms aloud. Consider how that person might feel, how hurt they’d be, if they heard you making judgments about them… and consider, also, what story they might offer to explain their situation.

You can even try making it a puzzle to solve. When you feel yourself looking down on someone else’s decisions or behavior, on how they dress or speak, what they weigh, try imagining why. Maybe the guy who cut you off is rushing to pick up his kids because his boss wouldn’t let him leave on time, not because (as you might be judging) he’s a jerk. Perhaps that toddler is screaming because of a bad night’s sleep, not because of bad parenting. Your story probably won’t coincide with theirs, but it will make you consider what their lives are like, and… well, honestly, the word that comes to mind is mercy. Mercy is the opposite of judgment. Mercy is offering a clean slate.

And it’s really clear that the times we live in demand mercy. As a culture, we’re harsh and critical of others. All you need to do is read the news to see the growing tendency to analyze and criticize. We attack others through opinions, jokes, Facebook banter, and snarky gossip. We call names, label others, race to characterize (and make sure others know our thoughts!). It’s a kind of public punishment for being different that we get to enforce. We launch toxic, crippling words as a way of inflicting harm. Mercy isn’t a word in our daily vocabulary.

What Saint Paul is reminding us is that God uses both our being judgmental and our mercy (depending on which is more manifest) as the measuring rod of how he treats us. He will act with great mercy and forgiveness. But he will also show his justice and judgment when that’s the path we take with others. “You have,” Paul writes to the Christians in Rome, “no excuse.”

The more you understand, the less likely you are to judge.

The difficulty we have here is there’s something about judging and punishing others that feeds us, and our appetite is insatiable. When we stand as judge, jury, and executioner over someone else, it makes us feel superior and righteous. And the alternative doesn’t give us the same feeling.

The alternative is mercy. It’s seeking to reconcile, to restore, to renew. What’s exciting about that? How does that make us feel better about ourselves? Yet the people of God are called to be merciful. We care called to be ministers of reconciliation.

Love is violent, make no mistake. But the violence of love is far different than the violence, whether spoken, physical, or psychic, that we dole out to others every day. The violence of love—a phrase used often by Saint Oscar Romero—is what we see on the cross. Jesus took the violence on himself. He didn’t strike out at those who mocked him; he forgave them. Showed them mercy. Didn’t judge.

This isn’t about giving others a pass, or pretending everyone is okay. It’s recognizing we’re all broken, and afraid, and angry, and ashamed. This kind of love, this kind of mercy, causes the spiral of violence to cease.

If we’re willing to imitate this kind of love, what we’ll find is it’s increasingly difficult to judge others. If we try the mirror first, if we can look at ourselves honestly and with the kind of mercy God shows us, then the tendency to judge slips away. “God,” says Saint Paul, “shows no partiality.” We might consider doing the same.

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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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Mighty

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Through today’s first reading, responsorial psalm and Gospel, I see one consistent theme: the power of God.

How often do we sit down and reflect, really reflect, on God’s power? Could we even comprehend it, or would we be overwhelmed? Would we be terrified or comforted that He is all-powerful?

We see many instances of power in the first reading. God’s saving power through Jesus’s passion, death, and resurrection, a saving power for all who believe. God’s mighty hand against wickedness, sin, and evil. His ability to create the world and to make Himself known through creation.

The whole theme of St. Paul’s letter to the Romans is salvation through faith – the first two verses of today’s first reading make that evident. But what we see through the rest of the passage is what happens to idolaters, to those who don’t have faith or who direct their faith in wrong, well, directions. God has (and did execute) the power to hand them “over to impurity through the lust of their hearts for the mutual degradation of their bodies.” Pretty serious stuff.

In the responsorial psalm, we see more of the power of creation as the heavens proclaim the glory of God. God is existence himself; He is outside of time and space. Through God, the universe and everything else came into being. God is evident; He can be seen and known through all of His creation. Therefore, all of creation points itself back to the creator.

There’s a different kind of power on display in the Gospel, however. Here, Jesus’s power is shown in compassion as he dines with one of the Pharisees. Another instance of His power is shown in His wisdom, knowing the depth of the heart of the Pharisee. But we also see the power to cleanse in the root of His message, “But as to what is within, give alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you.” His message isn’t just for His disciples and faithful followers, it’s for everyone – Pharisees included.

What does God’s power mean for us today?

Most importantly, that He has the power to cleanse and heal us as well. That He knows the depths of our hearts. That He has the power to make all things new. That power shouldn’t scare us but give us tremendous joy and hope. It is a power that should be called upon in every aspect of our lives.

Thank you, God, for your power.

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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 hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Called to be an Apostle

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I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the difference between a disciple and an apostle, and here the first reading speaks entirely about being an apostle.

I think a lot of the time, us Catholics have an emphasis on discipleship. While this is great, discipleship just for the sake of being a disciple misses the point. The early church didn’t just follow Chirst, the word disciple literally just means followerer of Christ, they took Christ out to the world.

In today’s first reading, Paul is taking the faith out and not just keeping it to himself. This is something we can learn from. In order to go out and preach the word we must of course first have a personal relationship with Christ and be a disciple, but faith is meant to be shared. It’s like a great food. When we taste it we should want to share, not just keep it to ourselves. Well we have the ultimate food, the Eucharist, and at the end of Mass the priest doesn’t just say the Mass is ended so we can be thankful it’s over. He says that so we take Christ out from there to all those we meet.

I have been focusing on this in my own life because I am realizing I have been a disciple for a while, but an apostle goes into the world, and I know that’s the part I can work on. I invite you to ask yourself honestly where you are at currently. Are you a disciple or are you an apostle and what is it going to take to bring the light of Christ into the world? From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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.

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Your Faith Will Save You

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True story: many years ago, when I was in my 30s, I recall an incident on a day, which was a particularly good day for me. My work was going well and left the office feeling happy with my situation. You remember those days when everything goes well, and you are on top of the world. I decided that I would stop to pick up my favorite dinner – fried chicken – on the way home. I also recall it was a bright and beautiful sunny day. On my way out of the store and back to the car, a gentleman, obviously homeless, stopped me and asked for some money for food. Now, this is the part I remember most – I told him I didn’t have any money to spare and walked past him. Later, on reflection, I was despondent. I could have given him money; I could also have given him my meal and purchased another for myself. All these years later, this incident still haunts me because I was so full of myself.

I tell you this because of the lesson I learned all these years later: that I was not grateful enough for what I had and too selfish to share with another. When I say it still haunts me, I genuinely mean it.

Now, truthfully, I have, as I’ve grown in my faith, developed a self-program for giving back. The charities I choose to support, including the ministries that feed and clothe the hungry or provide disaster relief around the world. But for some reason, I still can’t shake this one instance of neglect. It is a recurring thorn in my side.

The story today about the ten lepers carries with it several lessons, not the least being a caution to be thankful for what we have and not to hold on to it but to give back. Another lesson is of not being judgmental of those who are not grateful to you for what you do. Can you imagine Jesus “taking back” the healing of the nine who did not return to him? He didn’t. But Jesus was sure to let the one who did return know that his gratitude was appreciated, and his faith saved him.

I have come to believe that saying “thank you” to our Lord in prayer for blessings received is not enough. I must also express that gratefulness in my actions. And not only in monetary ways but also by giving a helping hand when needed or a bit of comfort to someone grieving. These are all ways of saying, “Thank you, Lord, for what you have given me. Thank you, Lord, for my faith in you that allows me to give to others without worry about my want. Thank you, Lord, for the trust that you will always take care of me, no matter what.” These can be hard lessons to learn.

“In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

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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Gloom and Doom or Thanksgiving?

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Life is full of milestones. This year my family has reached many. In January, my grandmother turned 90, my mother turned 70, and my husband turned 40. Last month my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and today, I celebrate my 40th birthday.

No longer able to hide the subtle wrinkles and brown spots appearing on my skin, I succumb to the reality that middle age has come. The feeling of being on the other side of the hill already hit me a few years back when gray hairs moved in, and energy moved out. In some ways, I feel wiser, and in other ways, I feel like I’m still a child.

But whether it’s an anniversary or a birthday or another great achievement, my wish to celebrate is the same. I am so grateful for the gift of life, family, and faith. These milestones remind me to turn my heart towards God, the giver of all good gifts.

Today’s readings are full of gloom and doom. People called to weep, fast and put on sackcloth in the First Reading and Jesus talking about divided kingdoms, unclean spirits, and demons in the Gospel. Yet the Psalm offers a breath of fresh air:

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.

This Psalm reminds us that amid calamity and evil, chaos and sadness, God is still present. When we take a moment to refocus and turn our hearts to Him, we are able to gain a fresh perspective and rejoice once again.

The saint of the day, Pope John XXIII, was known for his wit, his sense of humor, and his constant smile. Although he lived through various hardships, such as World War II and the Cuban missile crises, he refused to lose heart. He criticized “prophets of doom” who “see nothing but prevarication and ruin” and chose the “medicine of mercy” instead.

We all know the kind of world we live in. We all know we can’t turn back time. We all know that age will come upon us. But we have a choice in how we accept it. We can allow ourselves to be swallowed up in the gloom and doom, or we can choose to focus on God’s infinite mercy instead and give thanks to Him with all our hearts.

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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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Is There Power?

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Have you ever done the classic God test? “I am going to pray for this specific thing, God, and if it doesn’t happen then you are not real.” We judge God by his power and if a specific thing doesn’t happen then we assume that somehow God has lost his power or doesn’t even exist.

We have to dive into this a little because I know many people who have fallen away from faith due to this mentality. A lot of it has to do with putting ourselves in the proper place. If God did, in fact, created us than he knows ultimately what is good for us. It might be impossible for our human minds to see how a good could ever come from cancer or from terrorism, but if we try to put on divine glasses we can see that maybe someone with cancer drew closer to their family and God through the process or we might see how our country united as one through the events of 9/11.

God is always acting with his power, it’s just not always the answer we may expect, because God knows better than we do. In the Gospel today, Jesus explains this using the analogy of a friend. Have you ever had a friend who was a good enough friend to tell you that you were being an idiot or that they could see when you were making a mistake and they gave you some tough love?

I think we need to draw this part of the analogy in. When we ask for things from God we may not receive it because a greater good is possible and God wants our ultimate fulfillment. It is the ultimate act of love just like a friend would do for us.

But does this take away God’s power? We hear the classic praise and worship song where we sing, “There is power.” Do we still believe it? Do we believe that Jesus has power still to this day and that prayer and the sacraments are effective ways for God to communicate grace? Or are we among those who believe that grace exists on a timeline in history to the point where after so many years it runs out?

If there are three things I take from this Gospel today it’s that God has the ultimate power, I need to be smaller and trust that he will take care of me in the proper way, and that God truly wills my good.

If we start to believe that God doesn’t answer prayers, simply because it’s not the exact answer we expected, then we are essentially saying that the cross meant nothing. I want to proclaim that the cross has real power, Jesus’ sacrifice had real power and still does to this day, and God’s love is still present and active in the world. Let’s ask for the grace to put on those divine classes and see. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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.

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Give Us This Day Our Daily Meditation

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We all know that prayer is the way we converse with God, but we often feel a bit lost about how to pray. Reciting prayers is one thing; truly praying is another. Maybe you’ve seen someone at prayer and been struck by how they seem to be able to converse with One they know loves them! The disciples must have been struck in a similar way when they saw Jesus pray, so they asked Him to teach them how to pray like that. And Jesus gave them – and us – the words we pray together so often in the “Our Father.”

This is the only “prayer” Jesus gave us. Yet we too often rattle off the words as if we were in a hurry to get to something else! Long ago, I realized that the words Jesus gave us must be meditated on so that they sink into the fibers of my being and become part of my DNA, as it were. So I decided on a method I’d like to share with you:

Each day of the week, I focus on one phrase of the prayer. It becomes the “background music” to all my other prayers and meditations of the day, and the prayer phrase I repeat throughout the day.

SUNDAY: “Our Father, who art in heaven.” Jesus always prayed and acted in the fullness of His divine Sonship, acknowledging his Father as ALL. We can spend this day thinking about our own adoption as children of God and heirs with Christ, gathered together as one Body in Christ to worship the Father Who is Love.

MONDAY: “Hallowed be Thy Name.” The Name of the Lord is thrice-holy, and to be reverenced and glorified by us. We can think also of the many “names” of God: Creator, Sanctifier, Savior, Father, Son, Spirit, Love, Mercy, etc. We can also make some act of reparation for those who do not reverence the Names of God.

TUESDAY: “Thy Kingdom come.” God willed that His Kingdom be established on earth, so that all creation might fulfill its purpose. His kingdom is established one heart at a time, as each one surrenders fully to the reign of love and peace. But there is a battle that has been waged from the beginning against this Kingdom on earth, and the Enemy is never asleep. What can we do to allow Christ to reign fully in us?

WEDNESDAY: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” How is God’s will done in Heaven? Promptly, perfectly, lovingly, joyfully, trustingly, peacefully. Also, effortlessly, but we will have to wait until we are also in Heaven to act effortlessly. While we are here on earth, we can focus on asking often throughout the day: What do You want in this situation, Lord? How can I be Your instrument of love in the world? I want to do YOUR work, YOUR way; YOUR will for YOUR glory.

THURSDAY: “Give us this day our daily bread.” I love the fact that when you line up the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer with the days of the week, the petition for our “supersubstantial bread” comes on the day when we traditionally honor the Eucharist because of Its institution at the Last Supper on Holy Thursday. We ask the Lord to give us this day our daily bread; give us today what we need for today; give us this moment what we need for this moment. We entrust tomorrow to the Lord’s Providence.

FRIDAY: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Again, is it a God-incidence that the petitions line up so that on Friday, traditionally a day of penance, we beg forgiveness for our sins? The words for today remind us that we are forgiven AS WE FORGIVE, and is a call to let go of any resentments or grudges that obstruct for us the wide horizon of God’s love.

SATURDAY: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Finally, we ask the Lord to guide us on our way so that we might walk along paths that will lead to Him and not to confusions, questions, danger, and sin. It is a way of asking that God’s mercy and love accompany and lead us toward Himself.

These are only springboards to your own meditations, and I pray that all of us receive the grace to continually dive more deeply into the words Jesus gave us as a guide to prayer!

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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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Letting Go of Fears

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Recently, I was hanging out with a friend that is more direct than most people. She was complaining of not having plans for Halloween and stated that I have the perfect home for hosting parties. She asked why I haven’t thrown one yet. The hint was pretty clear, she wanted me to host a Halloween party, and I had no excuse not to. She was right; I have a perfectly fine home to invite friends into. Now, I confessed that I hadn’t hosted anything before because it makes me anxious. I have struggled with anxiety and panic attacks throughout the ups and downs of my life. Even though a party is no reason for anxiety, I’d beg to differ. The list of common worries goes like this; “What if no one shows up? What if it’s boring? What if I don’t have enough food or drinks?” The list goes on, but you get the picture.

I knew at some point I’d have to get over these fears and host a party, so that is what I am doing. I started looking through Pinterest for fun Halloween themed food and drinks. Now there is an expectation I will probably not meet. Why am I telling you all of this? Well, after reading the Gospel for today, I completely felt for Martha in a whole new way. Throughout my life I always tended to roll my eyes at Martha in this story, like come on girl, just come sit by Jesus’ feet too. I didn’t understand the stress of hosting and all that comes with it. Although my party is still a few weeks away, I have made myself a To-Do list that seems a mile long, and if my husband were to not help me on the day of the party, I would have the same question as Martha.

She was burdened with much serving. I can picture her trying to do a million things at once, and she approaches Jesus with frustration, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” Jesus responds, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”

I love this story because Jesus is not only telling Martha that He knows all her anxieties and worries. He knows ours too. Forget about the silly task of throwing a Halloween party; there are much bigger parts of our lives that we all worry about! Let’s think about that for a moment, the worries you have today about your future, health, job, friend, or problem, all those things are fully known by Him. There is comfort in the fact that He knows they exist; they are not something of our imagination or something that is passed by or deemed unimportant. No, He is well aware of the troubling worries and anxieties we have in our day to day lives, but he doesn’t leave us there. In this Gospel, He shares what the need of only one thing is, Him. He is the better part that will not be taken away.

When big or small worries and anxieties overwhelm us, let us learn from Mary and choose to sit at His feet. He is the answer, the better part, the need for only one thing. How differently would our hearts carry the crosses of anxiety and worry, if we responded to them by spending more time with Him? My challenge for you is to be like Mary, to choose to spend time in prayer, listening to His voice when the voices of anxiousness and worry try to bind you. Let us bring it all to Him and sit at His feet.

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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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Hi, My Name is Jonah

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“Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me.”

And so Jonah’s story begins with a crystal clear message from God about what he was to do next. No need for discernment, God spoke clearly. The message is in quotes, so we assume that God spoke directly, in words, straight from God’s mouth to Jonah’s ears. But is that really the way it happened? This story was handed down as verbal tradition for many generations before it was written down, and many more generations passed before it was codified and declared by the Church to be God’s inspired Word and included in what we now call the Bible.

Jonah’s story is true in the same way some of our favorite family stories are true. What happens when the family gathers, and someone tells about the time that old Uncle Joe attempted to fix the barn roof as the big storm came rolling in? Cousin Bart starts the story, but if he tries to embellish, Aunt Nancy, who used to listen to her dad tell the story every time a storm was coming, may shout out a correction. The story is true, and the retelling is kept honest by family members, but the exact quote of Uncle Joe telling the cow, “Don’t worry, I’ll save you!” may no longer be the exact words said at the moment but rather they convey the truth of what happened.

So it is with Jonah’s story. We read the story and assume God’s command came from God’s mouth to Jonah’s ear, and we wish we could hear God so clearly. Maybe, Jonah did hear a voice, but he didn’t believe the voice was God’s? Maybe Jonah thought he was cracking up because he was hearing voices? Maybe Jonah heard about the people of Nineveh, and the desire to go and teach them about God welled up in Jonah’s heart so strongly because that was God’s will, but Jonah didn’t understand, so he ran in the opposite direction? The story of Jonah leaves out Jonah’s process of discernment in determining how he knew that was what God wanted him to do with his life. How many times do we say, “If I just knew what God wanted me to do with my life, I’d do it? But I am just not sure. I wish God would speak to me more clearly.” And then, like Jonah, we head in the completely opposite direction.

What a beautiful comparison we are given in the Gospel reading! How did the Good Samaritan know that he was supposed to care for the man beside the road? The priest and the Levite, both men who were supposed to be in touch with God’s plan, walked right on past. How did the Samaritan, who wasn’t even one of God’s chosen people, know the right thing to do?

Is it possible, that sometimes, we get so worried about wanting to know God’s will for our lives that like the priest and the Levite in Jesus’s story, we forget to do the next right thing? The Samaritan saw a person in need and helped. How often do we see a person in need, and we make a quick, almost unconscious decision that that isn’t what we are supposed to be doing right now, so we hurry off to figure out God’s will for our lives? How often do we get swallowed up by a big distraction and it isn’t until we get hit upside the head and tossed upon the proper shore by “life” that we figure out what we were supposed to be doing all along? It isn’t flashy, new, and different, and it certainly is counter-cultural to the world around us, but what if we aren’t supposed to discern our whole life path right now? What if we are only supposed to live God’s love right now within the situation we are currently living.

When Jesus became incarnate, He changed everything. In Jesus, God’s invisible love became visible in the flesh, in the physical world. It is our mission, as priests prophets, and kings by virtue of our baptism, we are to spend our lives making God’s invisible love visible in this world. What would happen if we dedicated ourselves to taking time every day to slowing down for just a bit and really being in God’s presence? Would that change how we live the rest of our minutes? What if discernment isn’t so much about making huge decisions for the future as it is about taking the time in prayer, reading, reflection to recognize and do the next right thing? If we radically make God that much of a priority in our life each moment, so that when the next moment presents itself we are able to do the next right thing, doesn’t it seem like some of the big decisions would take care of themselves?

Mother Teresa said, “What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family.” We won’t need to worry so much about hearing God’s voice in our ear, because we will already be living God’s love in our hearts.

The Gospel Acclamation sums it up; “I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you.”

Wherever you are, may you live in God’s love today, with the courage and strength to do the next right thing. Amen.

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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.

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Living a Saintly Humility

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Think back to the last time you anticipated an event that was so important to you that you couldn’t help but tell everyone in the known world about it. You took to social media to share with friends and family and even made an event so you could invite people you haven’t spoken to in years. You may have put up signs, talked to friends, and recruited them to spread the word, and if you were feeling so bold may have even tried to get local news channels involved.

I had a time like this in High School when I had the chance to play Marcellus Washburn in The Music Man. This was a dream role for me, and though it is not many young kids’ dreams to be cast as the funny fat guy, to me, I had finally made it in life. I told everyone about the show, shared on social media, tried to get a pyramid scheme of friends to promote the show, and we even had interviews at the local radio station. I was so excited to be seen as Marcellus Washburn.

Opening night came, all the nerves, joy, fear, excitement, and tension of live theater was in the air. The lights came up, and as the show started, I felt as if I was finally fulfilling my calling. My big moment was at the beginning of act two, where I got to sing my own song wearing a bright pink suit that had been made out of a pair of curtains. It was entirely goofy, and I was so ready.

The song went off without a problem, and I ran off stage for my quick costume switch that was coming up. As I was changing, I quickly realized that I had ripped a hole in my pants down the seam, and the hole was there for the entire song. I was quite embarrassed. To this day, nobody has brought it up, but I am just sure that I scarred the whole audience that evening.

So why do I bring up one of the most embarrassing moments of my life? Well, the Gospel today is a little hard to swallow. The Disciples are asking for Jesus to increase their faith, but he can see that they are just in it for themselves. They want to show how strong their faith is and how good they are. I felt similar on that night so many years ago, trying to show how amazing I was. Jesus shuts that down so fast by reminding them that their faith can be as small as a mustard seed, and God will do incredible things.

He then goes on to explain that a servant who does as he is told is not amazing; he is not a rockstar; he is just doing that which is required of him. This again reminds me of that fateful night. Even if I did a fantastic job and remembered all my lines and didn’t rip my pants, I would still just be doing what is required of an actor.

I think we can relate this to our lives as disciples, as well. We just had four retreats at our parish that were all about discovering our God-given gifts and applying them to build up the kingdom. It’s easy to see those gifts and brag and try to make it all about us. But Jesus reminds us that as disciples, we should imitate him and as apostles, we should go out and share that imitation with the world. We could be the best evangelist, speaker, prayer warrior, mystic, or teacher that the world has ever seen, but at the end of the day, those things are just normal to being a disciple.

I think two things keep us from being saints. The first is that we aren’t dead yet, and the second is that we need true humility. All of us can get better at being humble; I know I can. Humility is genuinely grasping our place in the world, and knowing that everything we have and every gift we have been given is thanks to our God. He holds us in existence; he gives us our gifts. If we use them well, then we should be humbled and realize that that is just what we should be doing. That is what it means to be a disciple.

Let’s all pray for the grace of humility as well as courage and willingness to go out and be disciples to the world. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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.

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The Power of a Name

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“The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus, ‘Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.’ Jesus said, ‘I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.’”
– Luke 10:17-20

We all have doubts, worries, and fears. Going through the daily motions of life, these specific waves of anxiety can take over with it being hard to see the light in all situations, that light being Christ. God is a constant, whether we feel His presence or not. I know I have gone through dark times where it is hard to find God, falling into despair and hopelessness. Today I offer a reminder of the power one name has to conquer all of these trials we face, and that is the name of Jesus.

On this day, we honor a saint that truly lived out a charism of faith, of radical trust in God even when the going got tough. St. Faustina Kowalska lived in Poland in the early 1900s and wrote a diary depicting her interactions with Jesus, one most famously resulting in the painting of the image of Divine Mercy. When we see this image today, there are four words that are written underneath this beautiful image of our Lord – “Jesus, I trust in You.”

This phrase can become the most beautiful prayer if we offer it to God, even in our weakest moments, and when it is hardest to proclaim trust. I believe God truly sees the intention of our hearts when we proclaim this belief in dark times. Jesus’ name has great power, and this phrase will allow us to call upon His great power in order to calm the storms in our hearts. For example, when my compulsions (checking locks, the oven, etc. repeatedly before leaving the house) flare up due to stress, I will say the phrase “Jesus, I trust in You” each time I check something. This has reduced my compulsions because I know Jesus loves me and will protect me, so proclaiming His name in these events of doubt allows me to give all of my OCD to God.

Never underestimate the power of Jesus’ name. There is no greater name, and we are blessed to have Him to call upon as our Advocate, Teacher, and Shepherd when we need to find our way home. The next time you face anxiety, doubt, or darkness, say, “Jesus, I trust in You.” Let His peace wash over you.

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  She loves to share her passion for Catholicism with others, including her conversion story and how God continues to work miracles in her life through her OCD. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at rodzinkaministry@gmail.com.