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Los 10 Mandamientos son solo el comienzo

Hola todos, es lunes de nuevo. Otro comienzo de una nueva semana, aunque mi papá diría que “cada día es el comienzo del resto de tu vida”. Esta es una de esas citas que uno oye tan a menudo que comienza a descartarla sin reconocer completamente su intención y significado real. Cuando la oyes, inmediatamente interrumpes diciendo “Sí, sí, sí, cada día es el comienzo del resto de mi vida. Lo sé”.

Si soy honesto con ustedes, reaccioné de la misma manera a los Diez Mandamientos en las lecturas de hoy. Es decir, la lectura comenzó, reconocí los Diez Mandamientos y comencé a recordarlos mientras pensaba en silencio: “Sí, sí, sí, no asesinar o robar. Ir a la iglesia. Lo sé”.

Odio decirlo, pero he oído los Mandamientos tantas veces que han perdido su significado más profundo para mí. Me digo a mí mismo que porque sigo las palabras literales de los mandamientos, debo ser un buen católico. Si salgo de mi negación, sé que los Mandamientos van más allá del mero significado. Sé que hay mucho más para entrar en el Reino de los Cielos que solo seguir diez reglas. Por ejemplo, en la lectura del Evangelio de hoy, Jesús no dijo que el Hijo del Hombre separaraba a los ladrones de los honestos. En su lugar, separa a aquellos que actuaron por amor a los extraños de aquellos que pecaron y simplemente evitaron el pecado.

No voy a endulzar esto. Las lecturas de hoy son pesadas. Nos recuerdan que somos responsables de todas nuestras acciones, así como de todas nuestras inacciones (esas ocaciones en las que no hacemos nada). Nos recuerdan que lo que hacemos aquí en la tierra nos seguirá en nuestro camino hacia el objetivo final del Reino de Dios.

Hay mucho más que simplemente no ser un asesino. Evitar el pecado y seguir los Diez mandamientos literalmente no es lo mismo que vivir el mensaje de Dios. Al igual que Jesús, debemos salir y difundir su Santa Palabra a través de nuestras acciones.

Honrar a tus padres. Ser una pareja fiel. ¿Pero por qué no mostrar ese mismo tipo de amor y respeto al resto de la humanidad? Cada día se nos da la oportunidad de mostrar amor y respeto alimentando a los hambrientos, dando de beber a los sedientos, acogiendo a los extraños, arropando a los desnudos, cuidando a los enfermos y visitando a los que están en la cárcel, pero elegimos no hacerlo.

Así es, es más fácil leer por encima las lecturas (o incluso este blog) que auto-reflexionar, pero tengo un reto para ti: ignora tus justificaciones, no los Diez Mandamientos. Ignora tu orgullo, no a la gente que te rodea. Sé más que un católico “lo suficientemente bueno” y elige  amar activamente a los extraños.

Para adentranrse más profundamente en lo que realmente cubren los Diez Mandamientos has clic aquí. Ya que ya has empezado a hacer un Examen de Conciencia, tómate el tiempo para comenzar la primera semana completa de Cuaresma confesándote. Si ha pasado mucho tiempo, aquí hay una guía sobre cómo ir a la confesión.

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Sacrificio en los momentos ordinarios

¡Me encanta mi trabajo!

Probablemente tengo uno de los trabajos más geniales del mundo… y la mayoría de la gente estaría de acuerdo.

Soy profesional de apoyo directo. Sirvo a individuos que tienen discapacidades intelectuales y de desarrollo (por ejemplo, autismo, distrofia muscular) ayudándoles a manejar la vida en público.

Esta oportunidad tiene muchas cosas: es divertida, gratificante, a veces es confusa y desafiante. Pero especialmente en la temporada de Cuaresma, es una oportunidad para poner a otros delante de mí.

El programa para el que trabajo se llama “Self-Direction [Auto-Dirección]”. Como el título lo indica, el individuo al que le esté sirviendo decide qué quiere hacer en la sesión. Si quiere comer tacos cada semana durante todo un año, entonces comeremos tacos cada semana.

A menudo digo que mi vida es la vida de otras personas. No tengo oportunidades heroicas de ser desinteresada, pero en cambio tengo pequeñas y muy frecuentes ocasiones para el sacrificio.

¡Y eso no está mal! Quiero decir, no me malinterpretes. Fantaseo plenamente con un sacrificio legendario y divinizador que me cimiente en el marco de la historia moderna, como la muerte del Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. o san Maximiliano Kolbe…

Pero Dios me da oportunidades de tener pequeñas muertes, como comer tacos durante 20 semanas consecutivas (no una exageración).

La reina de los sacrificios ordinarios, santa Teresa de Calcuta, dijo una vez,

“Alegría: Jesús, otros, tú mismo”.

¿No es eso cietrto?

Vivir una vida de gozo requiere una especie de muerte, una muerte a nuestro propio egoísmo.

Encuentra oportunidades de sacrificar tus preferencia para ocuparte de los demá

Sé como Cristo

¡Sé genial!

 

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El Señor mira el corazón

¿Qué vio Jesús en Leví (el recaudador de impuestos) que lo hizo llamarlo? Había otros publicanos allí, sentados junto a Leví. ¿Por qué Cristo sólo invitó a Leví a seguirlo?

Jesús vio algo especial en Leví. “Porque el Señor no ve como el hombre ve: el hombre mira el aspecto exterior, pero el Señor mira el corazón” (1 Sam 16:7). Tal vez Jesús vio un corazón generoso lleno de anhelo.

A pesar de su riqueza, Leví sabía que le faltaba algo. Confiaba en que Jesús sabía lo que le faltaba y confiaba en que Jesús podía satisfacer esa necesidad. Así que se levantó, dejó atrás el vacío detrás, y siguió a Jesús.

Leví estaba tan entusiasmado con su nuevo tesoro que quería compartirlo con sus amigos. ¿Quiénes eran sus amigos? Parias: otros cobradores de impuestos, por supuesto, y prostitutas.

Jesús no le dio la espalda a los amigos de Leví. No le importaba que los populares y los fariseos entre los israelitas consideraran a estas personas deplorables, indeseables y sucias. Jesús sabía que ellos, como toda la gente, lo necesitaban. Así que cenó con ellos.

CatholicMom.com was started by Lisa Hendey in 2000 to create a community for Catholic parents to share insights on living their faith with their family. The website has grown substantially over the years to become a rich resource for all Catholics seeking spiritual enrichment for their families.  It continues to provide fresh perspectives from the enriching columnists and contributors with daily articles and reflections as well as book and tech recommendations.

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El Ayuno y el Sacrificio

Es el primer viernes de la Cuaresma. De inmediato pienso en el ayuno y me acuerdo de las innumerables cacerolas de atún, los palitos de pescado empanados, y chícharos cremados sobre pan tostado que me sirvieron para las cenas los viernes de mi juventud. Realmente no me gusta el atún enlatado ni los chicharos de lata. Aunque parecía que el resto de la familia lo disfrutaba, secretamente esperaba que mi mama mandara la comida a los niños que no tenían que comer, aunque sabía que se iba a echar a perder antes de que les llegara y yo iba a tener que ir a la cama con hambre. Mi cabeza de niño de primaria no llegaba a entender el concepto de por qué ayunamos, y que tenía que ver el ayuno con la Iglesia. Pues la Iglesia era para los domingos. Aaa, como es el enfoque y los ideales de los jóvenes…

Las dos lecturas de hoy hablan del ayuno. ¿Mi ayuno termina en discusiones y peleas? ¿Hablo cortante a los demás porque he faltado una comida como parte del ayuno y se me ha bajado el azúcar? No creo que este tipo de ayuno físico es el sacrificio que Dios me pide. Entonces ¿qué tipo de ayuno Dios me pide hacer esta Cuaresma?

Quiero que mi ayuno sea agradable al Señor. El Papa Francisco ha escrito unas palabras muy profundas en su mensaje anual de la Cuaresma 2018 sobre cómo no dejar que se enfríen nuestros corazones. Utilizó la descripción del infierno de Dante para comparar nuestro corazón frío al, “diablo sentado en un trono de hielo; su morada es el hielo del amor extinguido.” ¡Aycaray! ¡Yo definitivamente no quiero llegar a eso! También hay unas cosas de las palabras del Santo Padre que me tienen pensando cómo puedo ayunar a un nivel más profundo.

  • Ayunar de palabras dañinas y hablar palabras bondadosas.
  • Ayunar de la tristeza y llenarme de gratitud.
  • Ayunar del enojo y llenarme de paciencia.
  • Ayunar del pesimismo y llenarme de esperanza.
  • Ayunar de las preocupaciones y confiar en Dios.
  • Ayunar de las quejas y contemplar la sencillez.
  • Ayunar de los agobios y ser una persona de oración.
  • Ayunar de la amargura y llenar sus corazones de alegría.
  • Ayunar del egoísmo y ser compasivos con los demás.
  • Ayunar de los rencores y reconciliarse.
  • Ayunar de las palabras y mantener silencio para escuchar.

Para mí, estas son maneras muy realistas de ayunar, aunque parezcan más y más difíciles la segunda y tercera leída. La Cuaresma, durante el proceso de dos años de separarme y divorciarme de mi ex-esposo, era demasiado doloroso. Hice el esfuerzo de ayunar de los comentarios negativos sobre nuestra situación. Intenté ayunar de las palabras dañinas y de la amargura. Era una batalla. Me hice miembro del coro en mi parroquia para elevar a Dios lo quebrado en mí con el canto durante la Cuaresma.  Guío el canto para asegurar que vaya a Misa los domingos para nutrirme con el Cuerpo y Sangre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo.  Hago estas cosas porque no puedo sobrevivir a solas. Necesito el amor derramado en el sacrificio Eucarístico. Jesús me amó tanto, una pecadora, que dio su vida para redimirme, para redimirte a ti.

El P. Thaddaeus Lancton escribió una reflexión hermosa sobre “El Secreto de la Cuaresma” (“The Secret of Lent”).  Habla de ver la Cuaresma a través del ejemplo de Sta. Faustina; cómo podemos agradar al Señor con la obediencia.

Dice:

“Cuando Faustina le pidió a su superiora…. permiso de ayunar, se la negó porque sufría de mala salud. La dijeron que en lugar de ayunar, debe meditar en la Pasión – en particular como Jesús aceptó el vinagre y hiel — mientras comía. Como escribió Sta. Faustina: ‘El beneficio es que mientras estoy meditando constantemente en su triste Pasión mientras estoy comiendo, no estoy preocupada de lo que coma, sino estoy reflexionando en la muerte de mi Señor’ (Diario, 618).

La meta de esta Cuaresma no es simplemente mejorar a nosotros mismos o agregar propósitos, sino como aprendió Sta. Faustina, es una temporada para conformarnos a Cristo en su Pasión, para que podamos compartir también en su Gloria (vea el Diario, 446). Deseamos nosotros también entonces, ser obedientes a Jesús, porque hizo posible nuestra salvación a través de su obediencia, y recibimos la gracia de nuestra salvación a través de nuestra obediencia a Él.”

 El Obispo David L. Ricken ofreció otra reflexión en “10 Cosas por Recordar para la Cuaresma” (10 Things to Remember for Lent).  Parte de mi ofrecimiento cuaresmal será rezar para por lo menos una persona por día que no conozca. Intentaré ayunar de las palabras para que pueda ser silenciosa y escuchar al Señor en aquellos a mi alrededor y a través de las situaciones mundanas y las rutinas que forman mi vida. Haré el esfuerzo de asistir a Misa diaria 3 veces por semana. ¿Qué es lo que Dios te pide a ti?

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2018 Lent Reflections

Click Here for Spanish Version

Welcome and thank you for joining us on this journey through Lent.

Our first reflection will appear on Ash Wednesday (2/14/2018).

We pray that your lenten journey draws you closer to the person of Christ.

From all of us here at Diocesan – God Bless.

Bienvenidos y gracias por unirse a nosotros en este trayecto de la Cuaresma.

Las reflexiones cuaresmales empiecen a partir del Miércoles de Ceniza. (2/14/18)

Esperamos que caminando por esta Cuaresma les acerque a la persona de Cristo.

De todos nosotros aquí en Diocesan, que Dios los bendiga.

As Diocesan Publications’ Solutions Evangelist, Tommy is committed to showing parish and diocesan staffs how to use our communication tools to their best advantage.  He has worked for years in various, youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. As an expert on Catholic communication, Tommy uses his parish and diocesan experiences to help you make your ministry effective. To bring Tommy to your parish or for general inquiry, contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com or find him online at www.rodzinkaministry.com

 

 

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Advent: a banquet for the soul

Thanksgiving in the convent is pretty amazing. Sometimes the stereotype of religious sisters is that they are solemn, serious, and strict, but in my experience, religious sisters carry within them a deep joy that simply bubbles over when there is an occasion like Thanksgiving to celebrate.

The thing that Jesus does most often in the Gospel accounts is to share a meal with others. Jesus must have grown up really enjoying his daily meals with Mary and Joseph. I am sure Mary was a good cook, but with their simple lifestyle the meals couldn’t have been fancy. I think it was the shared communion around the meal that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph must have cherished. In keeping with the Jewish tradition (as in Psalm 23), Jesus also uses the image of a feast several times to describe the kingdom of God.

Given this background, Matthew’s description of a thrown-together, last-minute, potluck-kind-of-picnic in today’s Gospel reading (Mt. 15:29-37) has multiple layers of meaning for us, especially during Advent when we are in a time of preparation for the eternal banquet with God.

  • Out of compassion, Jesus performs a miracle by feeding thousands of people with just a few fish and a few loaves of bread.
  • Jesus worked this miracle with what people brought with them—a few loaves of bread and a few fish, and through the disciples, who passed the bread and fish out to the crowds.
  • The miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish is a foreshadowing of the Eucharist, which is the closest we can come to heaven here on earth.
  • The abundance of the bread, the satisfaction of all present, are a foreshadowing of the abundance of heaven.

A meal is a place where everyone shares the fulfillment of two common human needs: to be physically nourished and to belong to a family or community by sharing food and drink together. Jesus feeds everyone in that crowd, whether they believe him or not, whether they accept him or not. ALL are fed, ALL are satisfied.

 

In this account of the miracle of the loaves and fishes, I also see an account of the kind of Advent I want to have:

1) I enter the Advent season needy, hungry, and wounded. Sin has deformed my life—both my own sin and that of others. Perhaps I have misused the power of speech with unkind words; perhaps I am stuck in a bad habit and, spiritually lame, cannot move forward; perhaps I have been betrayed by a loved one, and I struggle to forgive.

Whether we are wounded by others’ sins, our own, or both, none of us come whole to Jesus.

2) I take the risk of going out to a deserted place to meet Jesus, who welcomes me as I am. Jesus is moved with compassion for my neediness. In his great love, he invites me to stay with him. And he offers to heal me in the way that I most need healing at this time.

3) I seek to stay with Jesus—perhaps by praying with the Word of God, perhaps by going to Mass and Communion more often. In staying with him, I give our relationship an opportunity to grow deeper and stronger. And Jesus, never outdone in generosity, strengthens me with exactly what I need (even if I don’t know it), especially in his Word and in the Eucharist.

4) Truly and deeply nourished by my encounter with Jesus, I share that nourishment and joy with those around me. Together, we become a little more prepared for the eternal banquet of heaven.

 

We are already well into the first week of Advent. If we come to Jesus as we are, if we trust him and tell him what is weighing most on our hearts, if we ask him to heal and nourish us, our loving Shepherd will bless us this Advent in ways more abundant and gracious than we can imagine.

 

Copyright © 2017 Daughters of St. Paul.

Sister Marie Paul Curley entered the Daughters of Saint Paul when she was a teenager. A published author, Sr. Marie Paul invites others to encounter Christ’s love in the rapidly-developing digital culture. You can find her online at: www.pauline.org/mariepaulcurley

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First Sunday of Advent: Inviting Christ Into Our Lives

Sunday, December 3, 2017, marks the first Sunday of Advent, and the first Sunday of the new liturgical year. Advent is the time when we prepare for the coming of Christ. We remember the historical event of the birth of Jesus, Son of God and Son of Mary, yet we also look forward to Christ’s return. The Gospel for this Sunday, from Matthew, reminds us to be alert to this event.

How exactly do we prepare for Christ? How do we invite Him in? Do we even really want to invite Him in? It’s all well and good to meet Jesus on Sundays – sort of like a weekly coffee date with a friend. But you don’t invite your friend to move in with you! No, it’s really far easier to just keep Jesus “contained,” in church, on Sundays.

In the book, With Burning Hearts: A Meditation on the Eucharistic Life, priest-contemplative Henri Nouwen says that the moment of Eucharist is THE single most important decision of our lives: Are we going to allow Christ in? It is a decision to make Christ part of your life, every moment of every day, to remove the walls you have placed around Him.

Jesus is a very interesting person; his words are full of wisdom. His presence is heart-warming. His gentleness and kindness are deeply moving. His message is very challenging. But do we invite him into our home? Do we want him to come to know us behind the walls of our most intimate life? Do we want to introduce him to all the people we live with? Do we want him to see us in our everyday lives? Do we want him to touch us where we are most vulnerable? Do we want him to enter into the back rooms of our homes, rooms that we ourselves prefer to keep safely locked? Do we truly want him to stay with us when it is nearly evening and the day is almost over?

Christ, you see, is not meant to be contained. He is not meant to be a weekly visitor or a standing coffee date which one can easily cancel if something comes up. He is not even meant to be a boarder in our home; a person who rents a room but is seldom seen or heard.

There is a reason that we encounter Christ around the table, the altar. The act of gathering around a table to share a meal is an act of intimacy. Even strangers become friends when they gather together to not simply eat, but to enjoy the food, the company, the joy of elevating basic human nourishment to an occasion of joy.

Yet no hostess in the world would think of handing out coats to the guests just as the last mouthful has been consumed: “Oh! Out to you go! Been lovely to see you, but time to get!” We would be shocked – and rightly so. No, part of the invitation to the table is the chance to linger and further enjoy the company of those gathered. And if the weather has turned bad while the meal was being enjoyed, the host and hostess would find blankets and pillows and places for everyone to rest their heads.

So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. – Mt. 24:44

As we prepare for the holy season of Advent, let us begin by asking ourselves: Do I REALLY want Christ to be part of my entire life? Am I only giving Him a sliver of my time? Where do I deliberately keep Christ from entering? Why? Is Christ truly a guest in my home, my life?

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Welcome To ReFresh!

Welcome to a New Year, and a new in-house feature for our company! The strength of Diocesan Trinity Publications is that we are a company of talented, energetic people who are passionate about Catholic communications. Our departments share responsibilities for many products and services, some of which we’ve been doing since the company was established and many new. However, because our offices are geographically distant from each other, we don’t always get to hear news from within our company, about our work and co-workers.

Every month, the ReFresh newsletter will bring you company updates (focusing on a new product or service, for instance), educational pieces  that will help all of us understand different departments’ work, and pieces about the wonderful people we work with and those we serve.

Keep in mind that one month, we may feature a department or product you’re quite familiar with. However, there will be many employees of Diocesan Trinity Publications that will learn a lot from that piece. And the next month, there will be a piece we hope YOU will learn from.

beauty brokenness
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Finding Blessing In Brokenness

There is not one person among us who is not broken in some way. We carry with us the scar of original sin, which weakens us in every aspect of our lives. It is true that some of us carry heavier burdens than others, but we can not judge another’s trials  for brokenness can be deeply hidden. For some, our brokenness is right there for everyone to see: a woman in a wheelchair or a veteran struggling to walk with a prosthetic leg. But, for others, the woundedness is hidden; the girl standing next to us in the checkout line is reeling from her parents’ announcement of divorce or the dad standing handing out snacks at his son’s soccer game is dealing with a diagnosis of cancer. We can look at every single person that we brush by daily and acknowledge: we all share in this brokenness.

One of the hardest thing that Christians must do is to find blessing in our brokenness. No, our reaction to brokenness is blame: “This would have never happened if he’d only agreed to counseling!” We get angry – at others and at God. We may feel shame: “I don’t want anyone to know my family’s issues; I’m so embarrassed.” So quietly, with great care, we tip-toe through our day – unable or unwilling to not only acknowledge the blessing in the brokenness.

Fr. Henri Nouwen is well-known for pondering questions such as, “How can I possibly find blessing in this mess? In the diagnosis? In this tattered relationship? In this time of loss?”

The great spiritual call of the Beloved Children of God is to pull their brokenness from the shadows of the curse, and put it under the light of the blessing … The powers of the darkness around us are strong, and our wold find is it easier to manipulate self-rejecting people than self-accepting people. But when we keep listening attentively to the vice calling us the Beloved, it becomes possible to live our brokenness, not as a confirmation of our fear that we are worthless, but as an opportunity to purify and deepen the blessing that rests  upon us … (Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World)

However devastating a situation we may be in, Christ walks with us. Our God is not a distant or far-off god, who  like a child bored with an old toy, has abandoned us. Our God is not a god who favors one person over another, Nor does God, like a beggar at a banquet, try to snatch a bit our happiness to keep for himself.

No: our God calls us Beloved: you. Me. That kid picking  his nose on the bus. The snooty waiter at the coffee shop. The mom struggling with a toddler and a grocery cart at the store. We are all Beloved. And it is this quality alone (this gift, this grace!) from God that allows us to drag our brokenness into light from darkness. We show it to everyone, and they allow us to see theirs. We acknowledge our sinfulness, the part we play in our brokenness and the brokenness of others. Then, our brokenness no longer frightens us or brings shame. Why? Because our brokenness – which has been known by God for all eternity – was carried on His back and nailed to that cross as He suffered and died or His Beloved. It was redeemed both in beauty and brokenness, and that redemption is ours by our heritage, by baptism and by living a life worthy of the Beloved Children of God.

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Meet The Church’s Newly Proclaimed Saints

This past Sunday, Pope Francis proclaimed seven new saints, once again reminding the faithful that sainthood is for everyone, not merely for a select few.

In his homily, Pope Francis said:

The saints are men and women who enter fully into the mystery of prayer.  Men and women who struggle with prayer, letting the Holy Spirit pray and struggle in them.  They struggle to the very end, with all their strength, and they triumph, but not by their own efforts: the Lord triumphs in them and with them.  The seven witnesses who were canonized today also fought the good fight of faith and love by their prayers.

The newly-proclaimed saints are:

  • José Sánchez del Río, a 14-year-old boy who was killed in 1928 in Mexico during the “Cristero” struggle which opposed the government’s anti-Catholic and anticlerical policies.
  • Brother Salomone Leclercq, a martyr of the French revolution, who like many religious at the time, refused the government’s orders to either revoke their vows or to leave the country
  • José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, an Argentinean priest known as the “Gaucho priest,” who lived and worked among the poor; Pope Francis praised him for smelling “of sheep”
  • Spanish Bishop Palencia Manuel González García, founder of the Congregation of the Eucharistic Missionaries of Nazareth, the Disciples of Saint John, and the Children of Reparation; known as the “bishop of the tabernacle” for his devotion to the Eucharist
  • Father Lodovico Pavoni of the Italian city of Brescia, founder of the religious congregation ‘Sons of Mary Immaculate’ or ‘Pavonians’
  • Alfonso Maria Fusco, a priest from the southern Italian city of Salerno, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, commonly known as Baptistine Sisters
  • French Discalced Carmelite mystic and writer Elizabeth of the Trinity who died aged just 26 in 1906 from Addison’s disease, but not before leaving behind writings of great faith and depth

The Holy Father exhorted the faithful to prayer, saying, “To pray is not to take refuge in an ideal world, nor to escape into a false, selfish sense of calm.  On the contrary, to pray is to struggle, but also to let the Holy Spirit pray within us.  For the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray.  He guides us in prayer and he enables us to pray as sons and daughters.”