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God Will Save You

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There are four poignant verses in the story of Susanna that exemplify the battle between good and evil. The two elders saw Susanna’s beauty, and treating her as an object instead of a person, they “suppressed their consciences; they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven, and did not keep in mind just judgments.” (Dn 13:9)The temptation to sin was so great they pushed aside their moral compass. They made a choice to turn from God and they paid for it with their lives. Evil won in their case. How often do we make a conscious choice away from God, knowing that what we are doing is wrong?

Susanna, on the other hand, never turned her gaze from God. She knew that to acquiesce to their threats would be safest but would also be allowing herself to enter into sin. In fighting against them, she was opening herself to punishment as it was the word of  two elders against hers. In a culture where women were not valued, this was sure to lead to her death. But so great was her love for God, she was willing to risk it all. “Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt than to sin before the Lord.” (Dn 13: 23) How often do we choose God over what is easy or safe?

She prayed to God and trusted him. When she was in front of the assembly being accused of adultery in a land where the punishment for adultery is death, she called out to God who knows what is true and what is hidden. In front of her accusers, her family, and her husband she spoke the truth. How often do we trust that if we speak truth, God will take care of us?

“The Lord heard her prayer.” (Dn 13:44) He always does. Our God is good and powerful and faithful. No matter how dire the situation, we can know that he is with us, he hears us, and he never abandons us. 

Her faith saved her. In front of all the people, Daniel proved the elders were lying and Susanna was set free. Her faith also helped others because they saw that it was God’s work they witnessed and “The whole assembly cried aloud, blessing God who saves those who hope in him.” (Dan 13:60)

There is evil in the world. We are tempted on a daily basis. It is up to us to choose to keep our eyes on God or to succumb to the temptations. It is also up to us to trust that God will be with us in that choice and his grace will lead us through. The Lord will hear our prayers and we can rejoice and praise him because he will save us. 

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Merridith Frediani loves words and is delighted by good sentences. She also loves Lake Michigan, dahlias, the first sip of hot coffee in the morning, millennials, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids. She writes for Catholic Mom, Diocesan.com, and her local Catholic Herald. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Adoration is available at Our Sunday Visitor and Amazon. You can learn more at merridithfrediani.com.

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Knowing Our Father

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“The one who sent me, whom you do not know, is true. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.”

Jesus is talking about the Father, and the Jews know this; they know that Jesus is clearly stating that he is the Son of God, the Son of the Father; he is telling them clearly that he knows God, and has been sent by God. “I am from him, and he sent me.” There it is. No mincing words at this point in the mission, even if it will mean his death.

This is the very heart of Jesus being revealed to the world: the Father sent the Son, and the Son has accepted this mission in love – love for the Father, and love for us. Jesus’ bread is to do the will of the Father; the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; the Son is obedient, even unto death, death on a cross…

What about us? We are called to be transformed in Christ – not just follow all the rules or be nice and share, but to be transformed IN him, conformed TO him, become one WITH him so that we can bring HIM to others. And when we are transformed in him, our motivation and desires will be the same as his. When we are transformed in him, our hearts should be like his: oriented toward the Father, in love. When we are transformed in Christ, when our hearts are aligned with his and our eyes are on the will of the Father, we are at last empowered and freed to bring Christ to the world and the world to Christ. This is what the world is thirsting for. This is what Christ is thirsting for. When we deepen our intimacy with Christ, the reverberations of that intimacy can transform the world. The deeper the intimacy, the stronger and farther the ripples of that love travel.

This is part of what Jesus came to teach us. We are created to be arrows pointing to the Father with our lives, for God’s glory, for our good, and the good of others.

We are each alive right here and now in a world that is in desperate need. It is in desperate need that we be who and what we are created to be: we are created and called to be leaven for a world enervated and deflated by sin and selfwardness, to be salt that enhances and preserves what would otherwise rot, to be light to every darkened place. We are anointed at Baptism to be God’s priests and prophets and kings! We are sent on mission, and this culture has a huge need for us to embrace that mission. We are created to be holy, and this world has a deep need for our holiness.

In Christ, we must strive to do God’s work God’s way, God’s will for God’s glory!

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

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Christ’s Testimony

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In our day to day lives, we hear a lot of testimonies. All we have to do is turn on the television or go to YouTube and we see an advertisement with a celebrity promoting something that will make our lives better: skincare, a workout regimen, a new computer, a vacation, etc. Some of those advertisements are powerful and convincing; I often find myself envying the clear skin or relaxing life of whatever celebrity is in the advertisement! But in today’s Gospel we hear the most powerful, convincing, and important testimony the world has ever needed. We hear Jesus testify that He is the Son of God, sent by the Father.

Many people who encounter Christ question His testimony: how are we to believe that He is truly sent by the Father? Jesus tells them that by witnessing His actions, they are also witnessing proof that He was sent by the Father. It is not his words, but the works He performs that bear witness to His mission. After saying this, Jesus condemns them for seeking praise from others rather than seeking the praise that comes from God. The praise of others is fleeting and devoid of meaning whereas the praise of God is eternal and life-giving. 

When we perform works in the name of Christ, we should follow His lead. The intention behind our works should not be self-seeking. Rather, they should be selfless. In the same way that Christ became man for our sake, so too should we sacrifice our time, our treasure, our talent, our love, and our hearts for the sake of His Kingdom. 

As we continue through our own Lenten journeys may we remember that our sacrifices are for God, not for ourselves or others. May we follow Christ in His journey to Calvary, keeping in our hearts the love of the Father.

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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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I Will Never Ever Forget You

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In today’s First Reading, the Servant of the Lord is announcing freedom to the Jewish exiles in Babylonia: “In a time of favor I answer you, on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people….”

There is no way to overstate the crisis the exile in Babylon was for God’s people. They had been deprived of their homeland and had been stripped of everything that had given them their identity. There on the banks of the streams of Babylon they must have wondered how God could truly have been God if he had let the Babylonians defeat them, desecrate the temple, and force them to leave the land that had been promised to their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Were they now forgotten by God? Would he ever remember them? Would he save them? Did God still love them? Could they ever trust the Lord again?

The conversations of the people of God in Babylon are similar to the conversations whispered in the homes where we’ve isolated far from our churches and from everything that had been “normal” about our life. We might have said with Zion: “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.”

Isn’t it too late now for God to show up, after loved ones have died, livelihoods lost, children affected by years of education interrupted? After millions across the globe have suffered indescribable loss. The Jewish people in Babylon must have wondered also at this prophecy spoken by Isaiah:

Thus says the LORD:

In a time of favor I answer you,
            on the day of salvation I help you;
            and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land
            and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out!
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture,
            on every bare height shall their pastures be.
They shall not hunger or thirst,
            nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
For he who pities them leads them
            and guides them beside springs of water.

As we one by one continue to reshape our lives, we might wonder why the Lord didn’t “comfort his people and show mercy to his afflicted” by stopping the pandemic in its tracks before the damage across the globe had been done.

Our lament is as sorrow-filled and pitiful as the songs sung by the exiles who hung up their harps, refusing to sing the songs of Zion in a foreign land.

I hear such kindness in the final words of this First Reading. God understands his people’s tears, their loss. He listens to the confusion and hurt of his people who, because of their infidelity to the Lord and their choices to align themselves with other nations instead of trusting in him, had been carried off into exile by these same nations. God doesn’t correct their theology with reminders about how good he is, how faithful, how ever present. Instead, he evokes the image of tender love that is at the very foundation of every human life, an image that means warmth, safety, nourishment, a generous life poured out that a child might live.

But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; We say with them:  my Lord has forgotten me.”

Can a mother forget her infant,
            be without tenderness for the child of her womb?
Even should she forget,
            I will never forget you.

Take a deep breath, my friend, and allow yourself to share your true feelings and fears with God. Wail and rail if you must. Be honest with the Lord in every way. And then receive his arms that surround you with a mother’s love, this God who pours out his life and tenderness in absolute fidelity to us forever. Let these words wash over you again and again, “I will never forget you. Never. Ever. My child. I could never be without tenderness for you.”

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Sr. Kathryn J. HermesKathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey. Website: www.touchingthesunrise.com Public Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/srkathrynhermes/ For monthly spiritual journaling guides, weekly podcasts and over 50 conferences and retreat programs join my Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/srkathryn.

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Listen

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What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “listen”? Many would say “paying attention to sound, or listening to music”. Others may think, listen is, “to hear something with thoughtful attention”.

Has it ever crossed your mind that listening is key to your faith journey? It’s a part of what I’m pondering this Lent as it came up during my most recent spiritual direction session. I was told a quote by Pope Francis: “This is the first step in order to grow on our journey of faith: listening.”

I’m a cradle Catholic; baptized as an infant. I’ve heard the Word of God proclaimed during Mass since I was an infant. Many times, and not just in my youth, the Word went into my ears and I could recall what was said, yet was I really listening for the meaning?

The Catholic Catechism breaks it open this way:

CCC 144 “To obey (from the Latin ob-audire, to ‘hear or listen to’) in faith is to submit freely to the word that has been heard, because its truth is guaranteed by God, who is Truth itself. Abraham is the model of such obedience offered us by Sacred Scripture. The Virgin Mary is the most perfect embodiment.”  

Through out my youth and most of my adult life I did not submit myself to the Word that I heard. I absolutely would not compare myself to Abraham or the Virgin Mary. Yet when I hear the Psalm Response “If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts,” I also hear the words of our Holy Father Pope Francis: “When we listen to the Word of God, we obtain the courage and perseverance to offer the best of ourselves to others.”

There is so much to listen to in the world today. Courage and perseverance are absolutely necessary to be able to sort through the multitude of media, images, words, and sounds that surround each of us. There have been times where all of these things have paralyzed me, making my own voice mute. It has made my ability to act on what I’ve heard a challenge.

It is so hard to listen to God’s voice in the cacophony of the world. I need to remember the witness of the Virgin Mary and of Abraham who listened to the Word of God in the silence of their hearts.

Help me Lord, to remember to listen for your voice in the midst of all the noise because I cannot hear you if my heart and mind is full of other things. Help me to find the silence in my heart to hear your voice and return to You and your gracious, merciful ways. Amen.

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Beth Price is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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The Key to Forgiveness

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“…for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. And now we follow you with our whole heart…”

It is never easy speaking about forgiveness when you are aware that there are many truly awful sins in the world that have left us broken. Jesus can often make us feel uncomfortable about how easy he makes forgiveness sound. I believe the passage above in the First Reading can be a key to unlocking the mysteries of mercy in the Scriptures today. Because He loved me first, I can now love. Because He poured out His mercy upon me, I can now give mercy. In the First Reading, we hear about the pain of Israel. We hear how they have been stripped of everything, even their rituals for worship. All they had left was their hearts which needed a reset with their relationship with God. It seems to me that there is a common misconception in our Church culture that a person cannot approach God till they have dealt with their sin. True we need to repent, however, it has been my experience that if we expect that we will be able to do this before we can approach God, we will fail and cause a lot of harm along the way. 

Peter asks Jesus an interesting question in the Gospel today, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” After hearing this question all my life, I have often laughed at Peter. But as I have gotten older, I have become more aware of my own continuous need for forgiveness and aware of the pain others have caused me. I have a better understanding of why Peter thought he was being gratuitous by offering forgiveness seven times. Depending on who and how they hurt me, it can be overwhelming to forgive someone even once.

A few years ago, I was struggling to forgive someone. It seemed that every time I was able to let go and offer my pain to Jesus, this person would hurt me again. I took this constant cycle to Jesus in prayer and I remember Jesus asking me, ‘do you want me to give mercy or justice to this person?’ I remember wanting to cry out for justice. But I remembered this parable and Jesus saying, “as you forgive, you will be forgiven.” I started to trust that Jesus would help this person and it was not up to me to exact justice, no matter how satisfying it might have sounded. I needed to trust that Jesus would show mercy to me for all the people that I had hurt, especially those I did not realize I had hurt. I needed to trust that Jesus could and would make a difference in this person’s life and that difference would be far more productive than my own.

I think the key to forgiveness is this: by being in a relationship with Jesus we can learn to trust Him. We begin to see the change that His love does to us. We are then free to give Jesus the space to handle the person that hurt us because we know that real change can happen in that person, just as real change happened in us. More importantly, our minds will be freed from obsessing about what we would say if given the chance to show the person how wrong they are and the injustice of their words and actions. 

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Arthur Richardson is married to his wonderful wife, Gabby Richardson. They will be married for two years this January! Most of his work experience is in ministry. He was a retreat missionary in Wisconsin for two years and a youth minister for three years. He is now the Web Project Manager here at Diocesan, and loves it!

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I Am Who Am

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I am who am! These simple yet profound words echoed through a cave thousands of years ago and have kept even the greatest theologians questioning.

Thomas Aquinas himself, one of the most influential doctors of the Church, wrote extensively on this subject and only began to scratch the surface of its meaning. What do these profound words spoken from God to Moses mean? Well, what we do know is that they mean that God is existence itself. He is the uncreated creator, that which makes things be, existence itself. Explaining God in relation to other created things does not do justice to Him, and yet this is the way we know to explain.

The Catholic Church calls this a mystery. Not a mystery in the sense that it is hidden or that we can’t know anything, for God has revealed certain things, but a mystery in the sense that it is not fully knowable to us until heaven.

What is fully knowable to us though is that every breath, every life, every gift, everything, even our very existence is due to God. He holds us into being. This should give us a little perspective during this Lenten season. I think we often approach Lent in a negative sense, in the sense that we should give something up or sacrifice something.

While it truly is a time for these things, it is also a time to realize that because we were made and are held into existence by a complete gift, that the only proper response to that gift is to give. We do not get to heaven in a box. Our beautiful faith teaches us that we gain salvation through the relationship with Christ and His sacrifice on the cross. And this salvific relationship is meant to be shared with the world. It is not enough to receive love and have it turn inward, love must turn outward and multiply.

This Lent, I encourage you to sit down for a few minutes and reflect on the words, I am who am. Reflect on what that means in your life and the gifts you have been given. Now, reflect on how you can turn and give. It might be as simple as telling a friend they are loved, or it might be as difficult as standing up for your faith when it is uncomfortable. Either way, don’t let this just be more words you read on a page. Let’s all think of one concrete way we can be a gift this week. Nothing is scarier to Satan than Christians uniting through relationship with Christ, and then sharing that relationship with the world. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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Tommy Shultz is a Business Development Representative for Diocesan. In this role he is committed to bringing the best software to dioceses and parishes while helping them evangelize on the digital continent. Tommy has worked in various diocese and parish roles since his graduation from Franciscan University with a Theology degree. He hopes to use his skills in evangelization, marketing, and communications, to serve the Church and bring the Good News to all. His favorite quote comes from St. John Paul II, who said, “A person is an entity of a sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love.”

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Glorious St. Joseph

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As we focus on Joseph, it might be good to dispel some rumors about him, helping us to see him for the glorious saint that he is. The following words rely heavily on Mike Aquilina’s St. Joseph and His World, recently published by Scepter.

As one option for the Gospel today, we hear of Joseph’s first encounter with the archangel Gabriel, in which he is told not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. What is going on here? Was Joseph, the Just Man, planning to do something unjust? 

Joseph lived in the small town of Nazareth, named after the Messianic title of “Branch,” a term for the offspring of David. The inhabitants of Nazareth were descendants of King David, eagerly anticipating and praying for the coming of the Messiah. They did not know exactly when he would come, but they knew he would come from their line, and they waited in hope.

In normal Jewish society, many marriages would be arranged when the spouses-to-be were very young, and then were solemnized later with erusin, a betrothal. This involved formal terms and gifts from both families, and after this ceremony the bond could only be broken by divorce. Notice that here the couple is united in a solemn bond, but this is not quite a marriage; it is breakable by divorce. This was the state of Joseph and Mary. The marriage was finalized, and then (usually) consummated, after a ceremony called kiddushin (sanctities).

Adultery was a capital crime, so Mary would have been stoned if guilty. Divorce would have been the logical option here, but a desire to preserve Mary from this punishment doesn’t mean that Joseph actually suspected her of adultery. He may have just been confused, or he may have known exactly what was happening, intending to lay low and give Mary space, only presuming to assist if asked by the Lord.

Which was it? We are permitted to believe different interpretations of this text, but it makes sense to say that St. Joseph understood that Mary really did conceive of the Holy Spirit. She may have told him as much, and he had no reason to distrust her, likely being childhood friends in a small town. He would have had deep knowledge of the Messianic prophecies. Joseph knew that the Messiah was coming from his people, and he could have gathered from Isaiah that he would come from a virgin. Upon finding out that this virgin was his betrothed, he was probably struck with awe.

This is especially persuasive when we consider that St. Joseph had a special relationship with St. Gabriel the Archangel. His vision in our Gospel may not have been the first, and it certainly wasn’t the last. St. Joseph understood that God works miracles, and he was ready to drop everything and follow God’s will as soon as it was made clear to him. He followed Gabriel’s advice and took Mary as his wife, and they dedicated themselves to bringing up the Messiah, following a tradition of celibate asceticism often practiced in the Essene community, with which they were likely associated.

This day is a good opportunity to reflect on the virtues of St. Joseph, a powerful intercessor sporting titles like “Terror of Demons.” Dying as he did in the presence of Our Lord and Our Lady, he is the patron of a happy death. As is clear in his conduct surrounding the Incarnation, he is a prudent, patient, understanding, and just man ready to stand by his loved ones no matter the cost. Glorious St. Joseph, foster father of the Savior, spouse of Our Lady, pray for us!

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David Dashiell is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. His writing has been featured in Crisis Magazine and The Imaginative Conservative, and his editing is done for a variety of publishers, such as Sophia Institute and Scepter. He can be reached at ddashiellwork@gmail.com.

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In Your Hands Is My Destiny

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“Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”

The mother of the sons of Zebedee had figured out, perhaps, that there was a kingdom involved in being a disciple of this itinerant preacher Jesus. For though Jesus with his call to poverty of spirit, meekness and humility certainly didn’t act like the kings she knew, he nevertheless spoke often of the kingdom of God. 

Possibilities, prestige, power…. As any good mother looking out for the interests of her children, she took the opportunity in today’s Gospel reading to ask for places of honor for her two sons. 

The other request for a place in the kingdom of Jesus that comes to mind is the request made by the repentant thief recorded in the Gospel of Luke (23:42-43).

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

What is the difference between these two requests for a place in the kingdom? They clearly received two very different responses from Jesus.

The repentant thief speaks from a place of surrender, of petition, of awareness of his sin and his need. He turns to Jesus with the trust that is available to him at that most desperate moment of his life. He responds to the action of the Holy Spirit in the measure to which he is capable in this first encounter with his Savior. In a sense, we can say that he is more completely in the form of holiness which is Jesus himself, the form of obedient humble surrender:

Mary, the mother who stood beneath her Son as he died on the cross, no doubt heard this plea that broke from the heart of the repentant thief, and in her heart echoed her own words of obedient surrender uttered years earlier at the Annunciation, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), and at the wedding feast of Cana: “They have no wine,” “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:4-5). 

The Kingdom of God is received, it is surrendered to, it is entered into by one’s complete alignment with God’s will for oneself. We can prepare ourselves, but we do this only by fertilizing the soil of our hearts through the living of the Beatitudes. 

This is why it makes sense that Jesus asks the sons of Zebedee if they are ready to drink the chalice he was to drink. It was a matter, he was saying, of moving downward and pouring out one’s life for others. Then Jesus stated that he himself didn’t have that power to give away these seats in the Kingdom. This was a decision that was the prerogative of the Father. Jesus himself in his very identity as Son deferred in all things, in all ways, to his Father in complete and obedient surrender. 

The request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee, and the desire of the two apostles themselves, did not correspond to the very being of Jesus as Son and so was impossible to grant.

We are called to serve, to be last, to give our lives for others, to trust that the One who holds in his hands our very lives and defines our destiny is faithful and can be trusted.

What places of honor might you be seeking? They may be as world-oriented as the request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee or they might be as spiritual as great holiness or a ministry that stands out and stands above the mundane work of others. In any case, the trap is often very subtle. This Lent come to your Savior with your need and your poverty and see where he himself wishes to lead you. 

“But my trust is in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ In your hands is my destiny” (from today’s Psalm).

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Sr. Kathryn J. HermesKathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey. Website: www.touchingthesunrise.com Public Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/srkathrynhermes/ For monthly spiritual journaling guides, weekly podcasts and over 50 conferences and retreat programs join my Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/srkathryn.

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Being Exalted

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A new heart and a new spirit. That’s Jesus’ goal for us. He makes all things new, and he wants us to participate in this renewal by casting away all the bad and embracing all the good. He wants us to see what HE has done – turned the world’s understanding upside down – and walk in newness of life IN HIM.

That means every human tradition is questioned and held up to the true Light to see if it fits. Jesus tells his followers that they are to OBEY the scribes and Pharisees, but not IMITATE them. This is because they have the authority to teach the correct letter of the law, but they miss the spirit of the law, and so they distort the trajectory of the law from its true Goal. They have turned the whole tradition to their own benefit, their own honor and glory, not God’s.

Jesus’ whole warning against not calling anyone “Rabbi” or “Father” or “Master” is not intended to mean we can’t actually use any titles on earth; he is reminding us not to put ourselves above others because we are all children of the same God. He does not intend that there should be no hierarchy or any authority on earth; he is reminding us that those in authority have been called to serve others. We are all called to service, and those who are in positions of authority are called to greater service! A mother serves her family, a priest serves his parishioners, the store owner serves his customers, the President of a country serves the citizens. If a person in any role of authority fails to serve others, we call them “self-serving;” we do not express our admiration for self-serving people or hold them up as heroes to emulate!

On the contrary, those who give of themselves in service to others are the people we instinctively look up to: the boss who distributes the profit by giving all the employees big bonuses, or the policeman who puts his own life in danger to save another’s, for example.

In the Church, those we look up to are the saints. These are the real heroes of the Family of God, those who served others for love of God: Mother Teresa, Maximilian Kolbe, Vincent de Paul, the Cure of Ars, Damien the Leper, Sr. Clare Crockett (haven’t heard of her? I recommend the documentary, “All or Nothing” online!), and so many others who followed the Lord of all to serve others.

During Lent, we take time to ponder the Truth that the Lord of all Creation Himself “came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Who in your life has shown you what it means to serve others in self-forgetfulness? How are you being called to serve rather than be served?

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

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Mercy, Thank God

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How great is our God that he is so merciful! In today’s Responsorial Psalm, we repeat, “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.” I know that I am, personally, so blessed with a wonderful life in which I can see God’s little miracles that shaped my life and got me to where I am today. Still, I know that I am no angel. I am not perfect nor anywhere near it. I know that I am not excused from confession. But I also know that my God offers me mercy, even when I feel that I do not deserve it. Looking at the Bible, we know that many a murder, an adulterer, a thief, have become followers of Christ after encountering a miracle and witnessing the Living God. 

Now, God’s mercy is not a cop out. It is not for us to see and say, “Well, I’ll repent on my deathbed and I’ll be golden.” Number one, we never know when we may die. Number two, that is not living the life that the Lord calls us to! No, instead we are called to genuinely ask for forgiveness, both from God and those whom we have wronged.  And THEN we are called to offer forgiveness for those who have wronged us. Many times, that’s the hardest part. 

Too often, too many of us do not show each other mercy or are not shown mercy. We see someone mess up and rather than being compassionate and having mercy, we see punishment as a source of power and can abuse it. I think of how many times I wish I had been shown mercy for things that were out of my control… and then I wonder how many times I should have shown mercy for things that were out of other people’s control. 

Dear Father, 

We thank you for all the mercy that you have shown us.

We know that while all may not be “perfect” in the earthly sense,

You are always right beside us, offering salvation.

You are always offering forgiveness, in the face of every sin.

You call out to us in the darkness, when we are most lost,

sharing the light of Your love and endless mercy. 

Today, we humbly place ourselves before You in supplication,

asking for the gift of mercy, as a trait.

Let us hold a mirror to our own faults 

and recognize how Your mercy is truly a beautiful gift.

Let us learn by example and offer compassion even when we cannot relate.

Let us be Christ to others and offer forgiveness even when it is hard for us.

Let us lead others to You by being Christ to others. 

Amen. 

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Pennsylvania. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various Catholic articles in bulletins, newspapers, e-newsletters, and blogs. She continued sharing her faith after graduation as a web content strategist and digital project manager. Today, she continues this mission in her current role as communications director and project manager for Pentecost Today USA, a Catholic Charismatic Renewal organization in Pittsburgh. 

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Our Mountaintop Experiences

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Last summer I attended a Theology of the Body course and had a mountaintop experience. A diverse group of people from around the world came together to learn about St. John Paul II’s teaching and in the span of five days we grew to love each other. Each person I met was amazing, joyful, and in love with Jesus. It was a foretaste of heaven. 

It was a mountaintop much like the one Peter, James, and John were on. It was there they caught a glimpse of what was to come and enthusiastically Peter suggested they build booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Peter wanted to set up camp and stay but that was not what Jesus had in mind. Jesus brought them down from the mountain because there was still work to do. It wasn’t time yet. 

I think God offers us these experiences to give us hope in the goodness he has in store for us. Whether it’s a conference, a time of prayer or even a time with loved ones where we are sure of his presence, I believe God offers us this to buoy us up. And even though like Peter, we desire to stay and soak it in, it’s not time yet. 

Those amazing experiences inspire and feed us and now is the time to share them. Share a time when Jesus reached down and touched you, a time when it felt real. There’s someone who needs to hear it. Those moments are good and beautiful and not just for us alone. Don’t stay on the mountain. Come down and do the work. It’s not time to stay yet, but soon it will be. 

What story of an experience with Jesus can you share?

Jesus, please give me the opportunity to share a story about my experience with you and give me the words you desire someone else to hear. 

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Merridith Frediani loves words and is delighted by good sentences. She also loves Lake Michigan, dahlias, the first sip of hot coffee in the morning, millennials, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids. She writes for Catholic Mom, Diocesan.com, and her local Catholic Herald. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Adoration is available at Our Sunday Visitor and Amazon. You can learn more at merridithfrediani.com.

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