Tag: Allison Gingras

How ironic that I write about today’s Gospel, which includes the words “stay awake” while on a red-eye flight from Boise, Idaho, back to the east coast. Sadly, following Jesus’ warning, at least while a passenger on that airplane, was not difficult, thanks to the noise and turbulence. In life, however, it is harder for me to stay awake, especially in the figurative sense, distracted by the continual din and busyness of the world around me. Even worse, allowing myself to fall asleep on maintaining a relationship with Jesus; forgetting the dire consequences Jesus warns will come upon those left unaware and unprepared for the Master’s imminent return.

Attentive to this warning, I strive to be the blessed servant who will be found doing what the Master directs. Even though I live with many fears and some anxiety, I go where the Lord sends me, hence the red-eye home from Boise after giving a retreat. Serving Him and the people He loves, bringing them the Good News and messages of hope, is worth every uncomfortable moment. I never want to waste the gifts God has graced me with, knowing these are mine because He willed each one for a particular purpose and according to His perfect plan. I am honored to be His hands and voice, though perhaps I enjoyed doing so just a tiny bit more during the two years my life and ministry work, for the most part, was virtual. 

I long to be a faithful and prudent servant, focusing on what I can do in any situation, especially challenging ones, and trusting Jesus to do the rest. Being awake to me means turning to the Lord in prayer in all things and seeking the grace needed to accomplish whatever mission is presented before me—leaning into God’s abundant grace and trusting in all His promises because I believe them to be trustworthy. 

Many years ago, driving home from adoration with many things heavy on my heart, I asked the Lord for assurance that He truly does keep His promises. As I sat at the stoplight in front of my house, continuing to ponder and pray upon this question, a giant truck passed by with the words “keeping promises” emblazoned across the side. I laughed at the sweet “godcidental” timing of the truck crossing my path. Tears welled in my eyes as I thanked the Lord for His merciful and speedy response to my prayer. 

Being awake and aware of His faithfulness, goodness, and abundant grace helps me prepare for that unknown hour when the Son of Man will come. Blessed by a willingness to be courageous and brave, to serve as I keep watch, even if that means being petrified 30,000 feet in the air. It is incredible what grace can do. St. Katharine Drexel’s sister offered her an all-expense paid cruise, but she kindly declined, saying she only gets on boats for Jesus. I totally get it, St. Katherine, as I only get on planes for Jesus!

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In 2015, our family experienced an extremely difficult time. We were afflicted, perplexed, struck down, and persecuted, yet, we held onto hope. These troubles came as my husband discerned the Permanent Diaconate and I full-time Catholic ministry. The concerns had not arrived because we’d chosen to follow the call to serve Jesus; today’s Gospel actually revealed He chose us. These things would have come anyway, some situations far beyond our control the results of another’s free will and the fallen nature of the world. 

Yet, in faith, we never wavered in remembering we always have recourse to God. Recourse means a source of help in difficult situations. The Triune God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is an unfailing source of comfort, strength, and guidance in everything we encounter. As our world crumbled around us, we held firm to the grace we believe is bestowed by God to strengthen the faithful in their distress; still, these moments continually challenged our hope, faith, and trust.

In searching for a healthy way to cope with the stress and strain of this season in our lives, I started walking around my yard daily, praying the Rosary. One day, as my frustration overwhelmed me, I shouted to God, “What do you want from me?” This heavenly inquiry coincided with my reaching the end of my yard and as I turned the corner back toward the highway which runs adjacent to my home. A giant truck drove by with the word “FIDELITY” emblazoned across the trailer. Honestly, I laughed out loud. 

Gratefully, most of what we suffered at that time were, as St. Paul says to the Corinthians, “light and momentary afflictions,” however, in accepting the grace God showered upon us, we glorified Him throughout it all!

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En 2015, nuestra familia pasó por un momento muy difícil. Estábamos afligidos, perplejos, abatidos y perseguidos, pero nos aferrábamos a la esperanza. Estos problemas surgieron cuando mi esposo estaba discerniendo el diaconado permanente y yo el ministerio católico de tiempo completo. Las preocupaciones no habían llegado porque habíamos elegido seguir el llamado a servir a Jesús; el Evangelio de hoy en realidad reveló que Él nos eligió. Estas cosas habrían llegado de todos modos, algunas situaciones mucho más allá de nuestro control, los resultados del libre albedrío de otra persona y la naturaleza caída del mundo.

Discerning what the teaching, “do not give what is holy to dogs, or throw your pearls before swine,” means in your life can be a little perplexing. The language is strange, and this verse may take extra prayer and even a little research to fully comprehend Jesus’ intended lesson. Additionally, “lest they trample them underfoot, and turn and tear you to pieces” seems a little harsh, yet we trust Jesus, and those who recorded His words, never include filler—every word has purpose. 

There is nothing more holy than the Eucharist—the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord, Jesus Christ. To receive this gift, our hearts must be properly prepared. On Corpus Christi Sunday, in dioceses across the nation, the USCCB launched the National Eucharistic Revival, “three years for discernment, encounter, and grassroots response on the diocesan, parish, and individual levels” to (re)kindle a living, loving relationship with Jesus Christ, especially in the Eucharist. 

In John’s Gospel, Jesus reveals the difficult teaching of His Real Presence in the Eucharist: “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” Many followers walked away, confused and unable to accept Jesus’ gift of himself in the Eucharist. He did not use those next moments to talk of symbolism but instead looked to those remaining and inquired if they, too, would leave. It is being able to embrace this difficult yet true teaching of the Catholic faith that leads through the narrow gate, also presented in today’s Gospel. The one that leads to life, Jesus tells us, although those who find it are few. There are many reasons we fail to enter the narrow gate— doubt, fear, caution, or merely unwillingness to allow the mystical to reveal something to us this world cannot.

Faith is a gift. Gifts are only useful if they are received, opened, and used. In light of today’s Gospel, when we refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten our hearts about the holy things of God, we are truly casting them down before swine. They will be trampled into pieces and, maybe even unwittingly, miss out on one of the most incredible gifts God has prepared for us. We can be no closer to Christ than when we receive Him in the Eucharist. The greatest gift God has given us is his Son, who took on flesh, our sins, and the suffering meant for us so that we may one day be with Him forever in heaven.

Do not cast your faith away. Do not let it be trampled under foot by worldly cares, cynicism, or confusion. As Matthew 7:7 so wisely counsels, ask, seek, knock, trusting the Lord will answer the door of your heart and He will answer your questions. Like the centurion in Mark’s Gospel, let us pray in those weak, faltering moments so as not to be lost, “Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief.” It is in prayer where we open our hearts to be renewed and redeemed by the God who loves us enough to be consumed under the guise of bread and wine so that we may have eternal life. 

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Often my prayer resembles the words spoken by the boy’s father in Mark’s Gospel, who has come to beg the Lord to heal his son, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us” (Mark 9:22). And in my heart, not only do I hear Jesus’ gentle and kind response, “‘If you can!’ everything is possible to one who has faith,” but I also cry out like the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief” (Mark 9:14-29)!

I do believe and trust Jesus can help, most of the time, but part of me constantly wrestles with surrender. I am often a woman of little faith that craves signs and wonders to help me believe. In boldness, embracing Jesus’ teaching to ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7), I request oddly specific signs, so there are no lingering doubts. Remarkably, in His mercy, these harbingers and wonders often appear.

I love the Rosary, especially the 54-Rosary Novena devotion. A few years ago, the Spirit nudged me outside to pray. At first, I assumed it was to keep me away from the distractions of my desk, home, and phone. However, the Spirit was about to reveal a much bigger plan. Since I live on a busy street, I decided to do laps around the perimeter of my yard—think Joshua (and friends) and the Walls of Jericho (Joshua 6).

As I made my last circuit, in knots about the current state of my life, I looked to heaven and aired my grievances. “Lord, what do you want from me? I never miss Sunday Mass, and I diligently pray the Rosary. I have even given my life to telling people how awesome you are, and this is my reward? A life overflowing with many hardships — illness, death, financial difficulties, and family discord! Again, Lord, I ask, what do you want from me?”  

As I completed the behind-the-house leg of my Rosary journey that day and turned to face the highway that runs along the front of my home, a tractor-trailer passing by caught my attention. On the side of the truck, in giant red letters, was the word — FIDELITY! 

Fidelity? Really, Lord! The fancy Latin-rooted word, which not so coincidentally means faithfulness, had to be an answer to my cry of distress. Is that what you want? How could I ignore the timing of the truck’s appearance? Only God could arrange the precision of that moment. Furthermore, after twenty years of traffic watching along that same highway, this was the truck’s first appearance!

My trust grew exponentially from that god-incidence moment; the world would see this situation as a coincidence, but I knew it to be heaven reaching through the veil to assure me everything is possible with faith. Just be faithful; I can do that, Lord. I will continue to pray, hope, and wait on you — one Rosary bead at a time. Lord, I believe, thank you for shining into my life to help my unbelief. 

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Do you consider yourself to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Although clearly not one of the twelve, do you see yourself as an apostle? Do you show others God’s love, mercy, and hope like those first chosen by Christ? The word apostle translates into one sent on mission. Have you discerned the mission God has set you apart for, something only you can do that in some way brings the Good News to others? A mission possible by living in the light of Christ, never crushed or discouraged by circumstances, that trust in Him alone. 

An apostle has been summoned, called, or appointed to preach, bearing some responsibility to proclaim the Gospel. A summons can be defined as an urgent demand for help—being called upon for specific action; how you answer will look different for everyone. For me, this call became my profession—leaving behind one career to embrace a new one as an evangelist. For others, it may look more like sharing the faith at home, parish, or community as a volunteer or simply living the Catholic faith in a way to reflect Christ to others.

Discipleship needs to be rooted in grace found compellingly through prayer, Scripture, and participation in the sacraments. Before appointing the twelve to be sent out preaching, Luke (6:12) reveals that Jesus retreated to a time of silence, alone with the Father, and spent all night praying.

God has entrusted the message of reconciliation to each of us, making us ambassadors just as he did the first apostles. It is a participation in the mission of Christ not just to watch others about the work of God but alive, fully engaged, and active within it ourselves. We fulfill our baptismal promises to profess the faith by sharing the faith handed down or discovered by us. Our contribution to preaching the Gospel can be as simple as how we live our lives, whether in our homes, parishes, family, or communities. 

 As often accredited to Saint Francis’s, preaching does not always involve words but, more importantly, our actions and how others see us. God, out of pure love, brought you into being. In an abundance of his love, we exist. Created to know, love, and serve him; however, as the Scriptures teach, the greatest of these is always love and how we choose to love Him. God gives us the freedom to accept or reject a life of faith. The first apostles accepted the call to come and follow—to grow nearer, pick up their crosses, and embrace the gift of salvation through Christ. 

So, do you consider yourself an apostle of Jesus Christ? How will you demonstrate God’s love, mercy, and hope like those first chosen by Christ? Will you accept the invitation to the mission God has for you? In humble obedience to give yourself, your life, to Him who loved you into being. To say along with the Psalmist, “Be exalted above the heavens, O God; above all the earth be your glory!”

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Today many of us will gather together with our loved ones for the first time in nearly two years. So many holidays have passed with us visiting on a screen or through a window, and I’m sure, like me, you are very grateful to be together finally. Even if you are apart from your family, there is still so much to be thankful for today. Instead of allowing bitterness to foster for the lost time, we can embrace the hope in the words of Sirach, “May he grant you joy of heart and may peace abide among you” (50:22-24). Although a more challenging response, we can see this as a blessing and an awakening to the many things we’ve learned to take for granted.

For instance, do we genuinely recognize the privilege that receiving the Eucharist—which means thanksgiving—truly is? After years of joining the Communion line, I have to confess I take this miraculous invitation for granted. Jesus humbled himself to become consumable in the Eucharist, yet does our behavior indicate how honored we are to participate in this unfathomable mystery? We become a temple for the Holy Spirit; we receive within us the body, blood, soul, and divinity of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

During the pandemic, I developed a holy longing for the Eucharist. I’m grateful for that experience because I needed the shake-up, to see my faith in the True Presence tested and reignited.  I admit to growing complacent, expectant, and in some ways, even entitled. None of which is the proper disposition for someone about to become a living Tabernacle for the Prince of Peace, the Word of God made flesh, the Messiah, the Savior of the World. An unmatched encounter with Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, dwelling within me, utterly unworthy of this privilege, yet from a place of pure love, He comes under the guise of bread and wine.

The Gospel Proclamation for Thanksgiving Day reads, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18). Do you recall in the last 20 months rejoicing always as you prayed without ceasing? Did you give thanks for what God was or would do in your circumstances while acknowledging, accepting, and trusting in His will for you? St. Paul reveals, “that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose.”  So, how do we show our love?  Simply through praise, surrender, and participation in the faith, He has given us.

Every relationship requires perseverance, dedication, and steadfastness to remain healthy and strong as we navigate life. Whether together or apart, in sickness or health, and times of bounty or sacrifice. When all is calm and bright, or when the fog clouds our view. Give thanks and praise, trust in the good God does, and the blessings yet to come. Cast aside doubts, disappointment, and bitterness, especially on this day of Thanksgiving. Embrace the promises of Christ, especially his love and mercy, which abound for all of us, and be thankful. 

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