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A Joyful Celebration

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Are you someone that gets to Sunday Mass ten to fifteen minutes early? Are you someone that seems to make it right on time? Or are you always running late, getting there after Mass has already started? Well, this may sound odd to you, but I love watching the faithful who run late and sneak in after the entrance song or First Reading. I love to observe the faithful around me, the variety of expressions on people’s faces. The grandma staring down the new young family that has a noisy child, the people who roll their eyes as others come in late… 

Jesus shares with us today in the Gospel, a pretty lengthy parable.  The landowner hires laborers for his vineyard and some have been working all day in the heat.  The landowner runs into more laborers who are just standing around late in the day. He asks them why they aren’t working and as he finds that no one has hired them, he does them a favor and sends them into his vineyard.  At the end of the work day, everyone was given the usual daily wage. The laborers who started early in the morning were upset they did not receive more, since they worked far more hours in the hot sun then those who were hired later in the day. The landowner said to them, “My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

I absolutely love the message Jesus gives us in this parable.  Here we find the absolute generosity of God! Today, I believe we’d all have the same grumbles of the first workers if we were in their shoes.  We’re use to clocking in and clocking out. Maybe many of us would be offended if an entry level worker went home with the same paycheck as the top earner.  The landowner reminds them that he is free to use his money as he wishes and calls them out on being envious. 

I’d like to challenge you to think of this story in the context of God’s grace. How many of us act like the grumbling laborers spiritually?  Perhaps you work so hard day in and day out to please the Lord. You have countless holy hours, daily rosary & Mass… Perhaps you see other’s blessings and tend to feel jealousy since you “work harder”. All those spiritual efforts and works are so good and bring the Lord much joy, but we must be as generous as He is.  When the family that has a new baby arrives late to Mass, we should smile in joy that they still decided to come! When someone sneaks in the back after the Gospel reading, we shouldn’t look at them with judgement, but offer welcome and hospitality. When multiple toddlers are being noisy and distracting, may we praise God for them. The Church is our Mother and should be flexible and generous to all families. We, as the Body of Christ, must cultivate that same attitude of generosity! I believe it’s important to remind ourselves that we don’t know the hearts of those around us. We don’t know their crosses, pains, and circumstances. May we look at our brothers and sisters in Christ with the generosity that the landowner had one his laborers and remember that the last will be first, and the first will be last.

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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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Hurt People, Hurt People

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Today, Jesus states in the Gospel to love our enemies.  Yup, we’re going to be talking about this today. He said to LOVE them and pray for those who persecute you. Some of you are thinking well duh, I’ve already heard this many times in my life and others of you are starting to get an achy heart or boiling blood.  I don’t know if this is just the Sicilian in me, but every time I recall a memory of someone hurting me, I mean REALLY hurting me, the blood starts to boil. I feel as though I look like a cartoon with steam puffing out of my head. As pretty as the picture I am painting for you sounds, I’ve come to a conclusion in my life that truly helps me to follow Jesus’ words and teaching.

It’s something many of you already know and some may think, “Really? That’s how you get your boilin’ blood down? Really?”  Yes, really. It’s pretty simple, but the choice to carry this truth in your heart truly does help you to love those who hate you, pray for those who have mistreated you, and love those you once called enemies. When we think to any memory of hurt, embarrassment, or hatred, there is usually a moment of US being hurt.  The moment that they did or said something that pierced our heart and we can recall or relive so quickly. What I’ve realized in my life is that I have never once been hurt by someone who isn’t already hurt.

Hurt people hurt people.

This simple phrase encompasses all the wounds of my life.  When I take a step back and look genuinely at the people who’ve hurt me, I see the truth in this statement.  Every single person who has ever hurt, abandoned, gossipped, stole, manipulated you were all people who were hurting.  When I acknowledge this to the best of my abilities- and I mean truly take the time to ponder this- I am found with less hatred.  I come to feel sympathy & prayer. Isn’t that what Jesus is talking about in the Gospel today? If you only love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

I know I’ve hurt God before.  I’ve hurt Him by the many sins throughout my life, but He looks at me with love and sees not an enemy, but His hurting daughter. When we take the time to pray about those who have hurt us, acknowledge that they too are hurting, we allow God to offer us grace.  It is grace that pulls our hearts from hatred to sympathy. It is grace that takes the viewpoint from us and our feelings to them and theirs. I ask you to truly think about that one person who has hurt you most in your life. Take God’s hand and recognize that hurt people hurt people.  This is the way God desires us to love our enemies and pray for those who hurt us. May you experience His grace in this endeavor, Amen.

Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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They Also May Be In Us

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The Gospel Readings for today allows us to see intimately into the relationship Jesus had with His Father. It is within this prayer that we are revealed the beauty, intimacy, and trust of their loving relationship. He asks God the Father that those who believe in Him may all be one, as the Father and Son are one. He asks that they may be one Church in such unity that it resembles the unity of their relationship. “That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and in you”. Jesus goes on to pray for our perfection, that we may be loved by the Father as He is loved by the Father and then states that we are the Father’s gift to Him.

Jesus teaches us how to pray.  He has taught us how to pray not only by the Our Father, but here and many other places in Scripture as well! Jesus is praying a prayer of petition to the Father, there are moments of reflection and gratitude in the love they share & gratitude in His reception of His people as a gift from His Father.

Today, I encourage you to write your own prayer to the Father.  Follow Jesus’ example of petition and prayer of thanksgiving. Share what is on your heart and mind and know that our Heavenly Father desires to be united to you as He was united to Jesus, that my friends, should stir our hearts to sprint to our loving God. Let us answer Jesus’ prayer today by striving for unity and love with those around us & bringing our hearts to the Father so we may grow in our loving relationship with the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Encountering the Risen Lord

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I embarrassingly just did a happy dance in my chair as I write this blog publically in my local coffee shop. Why am I embarrassing myself? Because today’s readings are epic and I am SO excited to reflect on them with you. The First Reading tells the conversion of one of my favorite saints, St. Paul. Formerly known as Saul, a Roman who sought the destruction and death of all Christians. If you don’t know the details of this story, I encourage you to read them (Acts 9: 1-20). Saul was a murderer. He was seeking out the disciples of the Lord and on the way to Damascus when his whole life changed and would never be the same again.

What happened? He encountered the risen Lord, Jesus Christ. He saw a bright light, was thrown off his horse and was called by name. He was called by name and called out in love, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” The voice of Jesus is proclaiming a cry of unity.  When we harm one another, we harm the Body of Christ, the Church. After this, Saul could no longer see. It says that for three days he was unable to see and he did not eat or drink anything. It’s common to focus on the moment of conversation between him and Jesus, but can you imagine how distraught he must have been in those three days?

I recently had my youth group students pair up for a blindfolded relay race. It was comical, to say the least. We shared about it in small group and the children shared how insanely scary and difficult it was to “lose their sight”. They said they have new compassion for those who are physically blind. They only played that game for ten minutes, knowing the blindfold would be taken off at the end. I’m sure if I were in St. Paul’s shoes, I probably would not be able to eat or drink anything either. I would be distraught not knowing if this blindness would heal.

God, in His goodness, sends His disciple Ananias to Saul. God tells Ananias that “this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kinds, and children of Israel.” Ananias was probably thinking, “Really?! This man who has murdered believers?!” Or maybe that’s just me! When Ananias went to Saul, he laid hands on him. In this moment of receiving the Holy Spirit, Saul was healed of his blindness. He could see and “got up and was baptized, and when he had eaten, he recovered his strength.”

I love the story of St. Paul. I love that he was extremely sinful, with one of the gravest sins- taking another’s life. I’ve encountered so many people in my life who joke that they cannot go to Church because they’ll “burst into flames”. I tend to laugh at them, in a kind manner. If only they knew that one of the most important leaders of the Church was once murdering Christians. What does God teach us with the witness of St. Paul? No human is ever too far gone. No person is too lost or too deep into sin that God cannot change their heart and use them for the glory of His Kingdom.

We read in the Gospel story today the beautiful Scripture of Jesus proclaiming the truth of the Eucharist. No, the bread and wine are not symbols of Jesus’ body and blood. They are literally the Flesh and Blood of the Son of Man. He tells us that whoever eats and drinks of His Body and Blood will not perish, but have life within. “Whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood remains in me and I in him.” When I think of St. Paul and his 3 days of distress, he did not eat. When He was healed through the Holy Spirit, he ate and regained his strength. God gives us an incredible gift. He gives us spiritual food that will regain our strength. Are we truly embracing this gift?! I know when I feel spiritually or emotionally down, I tend to hide from God. I tend to not eat the gifts given to. I tend to only go to Sunday Mass, instead of receiving the Eucharist more frequently. If we truly believe that this is Flesh and Blood of Jesus, how can we not crave to be at Mass more than once a week? If you are feeling weak, starving, or in distress- do not stay unfed. He offers us the Bread of Life, which gives an abundance of grace. My challenge for you & myself is to receive the Eucharist more than you are now. If you’re a daily Mass goer, keep it up. If you only go to Mass on Sundays, if you can add one Mass into your weekly schedule- do it! Let’s remain in Him and Him in us, let us strive to receive the Eucharist with open hearts. It is here that we, like St. Paul, encounter the Risen Lord.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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A Believers Work

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In Today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us that He is the way, the truth, and the life. It is here that He shares the intimacy between Himself and God the Father. He states multiple times that He and the Father are one, here we see our belief in Jesus Christ is God made Man. This Scripture points us to the humanity and divinity of Jesus, but also the Triune God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Philip says to Jesus, “Show me the Father.” Jesus responds,

“Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves. Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father. And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do. How is our work? Does it resemble Christ’s work? How are our actions and words? Are they mirroring Christs’? This Scripture is pretty self-explanatory and I’ll leave it at that.

God, help us to look at our lives and see where we can improve as believers. Help us to identify where we need to resemble You more in our words and deeds. Give us the courage to be courageous and faithful to You today. Amen!

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Finding Jesus in our Neighbor

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In today’s Scripture readings, we are reminded of the fact that Jesus Christ is alive and working. Our First Reading in the Acts of the Apostles speaks of the Spirit of Christ working through His disciples. Peter and John did not heal the man who was crippled and begging at the temple, but it was through Jesus that this man experienced healing. It was an opportunity of prayer and calling upon God’s name to take care of him.

The Gospel story is the beautiful story of the Road to Emmaus. Two disciples of Jesus were traveling to Emmaus conversing about all that had happened in the past few days. Jesus, unrecognized, joined their conversation and walked with them. They invited him to stay the night with them, instead of continuing His journey through the night. They offered their hospitality through their presence and sharing a meal. It wasn’t until Jesus prayed the blessing and broke bread that they were awakened to the realization that he was no stranger. Their eyes now recognized that here before them was their Lord and God, Jesus Christ, risen from the dead.

These two Scripture readings are tied together by the Responsorial Psalm, “Rejoice, O hearts that seek the Lord”.

Peter and John were seeking the Lord in their encounter with the crippled man. They were not seeking their own glory, but in a moment of need, they called upon the Lord’s power. The miracle of healing was a miracle of seeking the Lord and they could not help but rejoice in amazement and praise. The two disciples on the journey to Emmaus were seeking the Lord. Whether this was intentional or not, they loved their neighbor as themselves. This is what it means to be a disciple. It calls us to love the stranger next to us and to journey with them. Through their openness to conversation and hospitality, we can see them seeking Christ in each person.

Both of these stories call me out in God’s call to us this Easter season. In the First Reading, I have to pause and ask myself how many homeless people have I not prayed with? Instead of thinking I don’t have anything to offer, I have everything to offer- the Spirit of God. Do you stop to speak to the people of God who are begging at the doors of the temple? Maybe they’re not at the doors of a temple in our everyday lives. Maybe they’re at the corner of the street, when you’re driving off an exit of a highway or at the entrance of the subway. Do we stop like St. John and St. Peter to pray with them or ask them their intentions? In the Gospel Reading, I’m called out in the bad habit of not wanting to get to know the stranger next to me. I can easily keep to myself and not want to put the energy into talking to the stranger next to me. For those who ride public transportation, you know what I mean. Everyone keeps to themselves with their headphones in. This Scripture is calling me on to being more hospitable. Whether it’s actually conversing in a genuine conversation with your uber driver, coworker, or check out lady at the grocery store… these are the opportunities to seek the Lord in the human beings all around us.

Let us rejoice in these moments, even if they may be uncomfortable or push us to get out of ourselves. Let us rejoice because when we are present to the encounter of the stranger next to us, we are intentionally seeking Him, our Lord who is living among us.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Will You Also Betray Me?

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Recently, I read a quote that states, “Christianity isn’t as much about getting to Heaven as it is allowing Heaven to get inside of you.” In our Scripture readings today, we hear how the Lord created each of us with purpose. He calls us His servants, through whom He will show His glory. Within the First Reading and the Responsorial, we are reminded of the importance of seeking God in our needs. How can we show His glory if He is not our source of everything? It is in Him that we should take refuge. It is in Him that we should draw strength, safety, and hope. When we are not drawing from the wellspring of His glory, we wander into what is not good.

In the Gospel Reading, we automatically hear Jesus say, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The one who does this is not drawing His needs and desires from the One who satisfies them. Instead, he is concerned with things of this earth. He is concerned with selfish wants and greed. We know who Jesus is talking about, we’ve heard the story before. What I previously did not realize is the fact that this Gospel reading seems to focus on not only Judas but Simon Peter. The one whom Jesus loved, the one who would betray Him three times. Both Judas and Peter betrayed the Lord, yet both were created to be servants of God. One is only known for betraying Him and one is known for not only this but for also being the first Pope, the Vicar of Christ.

“Christianity isn’t as much about getting into Heaven as it is allowing Heaven to get inside of you.” This is what sets Judas and St. Peter apart. Both wandered from Christ being the source of everything.  Both were scared, overwhelmed, and betrayed Him. The difference between them is that St. Peter returns to the heart of Christ, with contrition and repentance. He lives the rest of His life as a servant of Christ, which meant opening himself up to the glory of God. When I reflect on the relationship of Simon Peter, the simple fisherman who became our first Pope, I smile in awestruck admiration of this perfectly imperfect human being. He inspires me to be honest in my relationship with Christ, to seek God in all my needs, and to be His servant, through whom He will show His glory.

My friends, let’s be inspired together to be true servants of God this day and this holy week. Are you so open to the Spirit of God that you are truly relying on Him for your every need? Are you so honest with yourself and with God to recognize and admit where you’ve wandered off from Him? Have you betrayed Him in little or in big ways? If so, how can we humble ourselves like St. Peter? How can we come honestly back to His merciful heart with true contrition? These questions are not meant to beat ourselves up or huff and puff in our journey of holiness. They are meant to pull us out of mediocracy and open us to living out the glory of God here and now. This is the opportunity God presents to His disciples and to us today. Let us open our hearts, minds, and spirits up to becoming the servants God calls us to be, opening our hearts to the glory of Heaven within is and shown through us.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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I Am the Same Here and Now

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Vulnerability moment my friends, I am super overwhelmed with my life these days. I feel as though I constantly have a million things to do. My planner is filled minute by minute in my day and I’ve been left exhausted. I’ve found myself daydreaming of the sweet day of eternal life in Heaven. My friends and I joke about all the ice-cream and Chick-fil-A Jesus will provide there, here’s hoping. We giggle as we dream of a place where calories don’t exist. It sounds silly, but today’s Mass readings made me recall that memory. Our First Reading doesn’t remind us of the Heavenly banquet of waffle fries, but of our gentle God who guides us. He guides us away from hurt, & from danger. He says we shall not hunger or thirst, but be filled. He comforts his people and shows mercy to us. He’s compared to the tender love of a mother who can never forget her child. We are reminded in the Gospel as Jesus tells us, “Whoever hears my word and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life and will not come to condemnation, but has passed from death to life.”

In the hecticness of my own life, I forget to live out that joy of Heaven now. Yup, you heard it right. I can be way more joyful than I currently have been. I get overwhelmed with my to do list and tend to huff and puff about it. I can’t wait till Heaven where I can just be perfectly filled with complete joy, grace, and goodness. Plus I won’t have an annoying to do list of chores and work! I can’t wait to be completely embraced in the beatific vision with no more worries. Which yes, is true & so so good. I genuinely believe that we as humans experience this ache for Heaven. Sometimes that ache can be pretty painful, and I’ve been feeling that lately. But as I read these readings, I automatically thought about this longing and the goodness Heaven will be. As soon as that thought arose, I felt the Holy Spirit say, “I’m the same here and now.”

Yes, you and I ache for Heaven. I swear I could write a novel on what that means to me and the days I’ve felt it deeply. As Christians, it’s our goal. Heaven is the end of the race, the victory, the moment we long to hear “Well done, my good and faithful servant!”. But there is freedom in knowing that God wants to fill my heart here and now. There’s freedom in the fact that He is the same here and now. He’s the same God to us here on earth as when we are completely united to Him in Heaven. He still wants what is good for us. He still desires to guide, protect, and comfort us. He will not make us hunger or thirst, but fill our hearts with His love here and now. Don’t get me wrong, Heaven is the end goal. It’s the goal that we should be striving for always. Jesus just reminded me today that sometimes my planner is filled with too many goals. And Jesus is not just something to check off the to-do list. Our faith should not just be goals to check off and accomplish, but a relationship of love. Today He wanted to tell me that sometimes I need to slow down and receive. Maybe He wishes to tell you that too. He desires us to slow down and receive here and now on this side of Heaven. The beautiful truth is that He is the same God here and now as He is in Heaven. That has brought my heart freedom today, I hope it brings you a sense of freedom too.

 

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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I Love You More Today Than I Did Yesterday

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The other day, my fiance and I had a Pre-Cana meeting with our beloved priest friend. If you didn’t know, the Church requires at least 6 months of preparation time for this sacrament. In that time you are encouraged to meet with the priest of your parish, take a pre-marriage inventory, and have a prepare and enrichment retreat. We are FOUR MONTHS away from the big day! During our fun light-hearted meeting, Father read off one of the statements, “I believe that I have learned my partner’s heart completely.” As I grew up, I always heard my mother make the comment, “I love your father more today than I did on our wedding day.” As a kid, I found it a little confusing. Now as a young adult, I see the beauty of that statement. Throughout my parents’ marriage; day after day, trial after trial, they had to choose one another. They have learned so much more about one another than they had known the day they made those vows. It’s a beautiful aspect of the sacrament.

Why am I sharing all this? Well, today’s readings point to this exact aspect of our intimate relationship with Jesus. After reflecting on these readings, I realized they all encompass one thing- the Heart of God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). The First Reading from Micah proclaims the beautiful question, “Who is there like YOU, the God who removes guilt, and pardons sin… Who does NOT persist in anger forever, but delights in mercy… You cast into the depths of the sea all our sins…” The Responsorial Psalm sings boldly the truth that “The Lord is kind and merciful” and the Gospel reading is one so well known, the Parable of the Lost Son. It is the story most of us know and if you don’t, I encourage you to go and read Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. This story puts into concrete action the First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm. Jesus shows us in a deeper way the heart of His Father and our relationship as His children. He shows us what a Father who removes guilt & pardons sins genuinely looks like. A Father who does not linger in anger and frustration, but one who rejoices in infinite mercy.

Maybe you’re thinking that this is nothing new for you, maybe it is something you have already been told or have already heard. I would like to take a moment to quote my mother again, “I love your father more today than I did on our wedding day.” How does this relate?  Well, my friends, the beautiful miraculous thing about the heart of God is that we will NEVER know it completely- not until Heaven. This should have you jumping up and down- for real! God in His infinite mercy and goodness allows us to go deeper. We are given His heart every day and in this relationship, like a marriage, we can always discover and learn more about our beloved’s heart. We don’t know it all on the day we start our lives together, and that’s okay! It’s actually so dang beautiful! It’s the same with God… we may think we know His love, but He’s got more in store. We may think we know His mercy- and maybe we do! But there are depths that we have not even discovered! When I think of how much I have encountered the heart of God, I picture myself still at the shore of the sea. Sure, I might be swimming and feeling like I’m in deep water. But in reality, I’m a few inches from my feet touching the sand. There are depths I still need to seek, parts of His heart that I have not uncovered. This relationship is a relationship of reciprocal love. Please do yourself a favor, look up at the Cross and admit that you have not learned all the aspects our loving God’s heart. This is an amazing gift! Let’s discover the depth of His love as we swim deeper. Let us not stay docked at the shore, but cast out into the deep. Let’s discover more of His heart throughout this Lent. There is no end to our beloved Bridegroom’s heart and love for us.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Do You Want to be Well?

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The whole purpose of this liturgical season is to return to Jesus with our whole hearts. I don’t know about you, but when I picture my heart, it isn’t always pretty. I picture my heart with its scars, bruises, and sometimes it’s weariness. When I read Today’s Readings, I long to be that very sick old man.  That may sound funny, but I’m being completely honest. Jesus comes to him as he is ill and in a low place. Jesus says to him, “Do you want to be well?”. What does that sound like in your own ears? What is Jesus referring to as He states those words to you right now? “Do you want to be well?”. I hear those words and know that they are saturated in a tender love.  Those words come from a Man who wants your free will, He wants you to talk to Him about what you want. He wants to know if you want to be well.

What is wellness? Wellness is a state of being in good health.  We may think automatically about the health of our bodies when we hear this, but it’s even more than that.  It’s about the whole person. Jesus is asking about all of us. Do we want to be well in the health of our body? Do we want to be well in the health of our soul? My answer is a deep soul cry “yes”.  I long to be well, to be in great health, body and soul. Do you want that too? As we continue to read, we hear that Jesus tells Him to “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” The moment of a miracle. When I read this encounter, I realize that the opportunity for this miracle is based on a question and answer.  How often does Jesus pursue our hearts and yet we do not reply. How often does Jesus pursue us in asking, “Do you want to be well?”.

At the end of the story, Jesus found this old man healed in the temple area and said to Him, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” Here in this simple phrase, we are given to opportunity to see very clearly the heart of Jesus.  Yes, in His words we can see the Sacred Heart of Jesus for what it is. It is a heart of complete love, protection, and care. Jesus advises this man whom he healed to sin no more. Why? Because He doesn’t want him to get hurt. When we look at the Ten Commandments as a list of forbidding rules, we may feel annoyed or imposed upon.  When we look at the Ten Commandments for what they truly are, we encounter the heart of Jesus. The whole reason God has given us the guidelines of the Ten Commandments is perfectly summed up in Jesus’ words, “so that nothing worse may happen to you.” Sin hurts us, breaks us down, wounds our hearts, relationships with others and with God Himself.  If you have a hard time understanding why you’re not supposed to do this or that, reflect on how it affects your body, soul, and relationship with God. Then you will know that Jesus just wants to keep you safe. He wants to know if you wish to be well and then he wants to keep you safe in that wellness forever.

What is this Scripture story calling us to? Well, I do know what makes my heart and soul well…It is the gift and Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The place we come to encounter the mercy of Jesus, the answer to His question. When we go to receive this sacrament we are saying, “Yes, I want to be well.”  It is in this sacrament that we are made well by His grace and forgiveness. We become white as snow and that scarred wounded heart starts to heal. As we leave the confessional, Jesus says to us, “Do not sin again, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” He wants us safe and safety lies in being in communion with Him.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Now is the Day of Salvation

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“Behold now is a very acceptable time; Behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Today is a significant day for us Catholics. It is a day that we wear a sign of ashes upon our foreheads. It is a day that we show vulnerability to the world of who we are- a people who return. We are humans whose hearts must return again and again back to God. This is an acceptable time, a time of true salvation. This truth is proclaimed in our Scripture readings today and it made me pause and think about how radical this simple phrase is. God is telling us that right now- right at this moment- it is acceptable… As human beings, we are very good at excuses. Our lives are filled with chores, deadlines, quotas, school plays, soccer games, and commutes. We have tons of responses to explain why right now isn’t “a good time”.  But as usual, God calls us out (in the most loving way). He calls us out of our fog and apathy. He tells us that right now actually isn’t just a good time- it is the best time.

In the Gospel reading, we hear Jesus informing His disciples on how to authentically fast and pray. He warns them not to be hypocrites. He is warning us too! He explains that we must not pray so that other people will see us, but to pray in secret. I love that Jesus says this to us. Honestly, I am not proud to share this, but I can get very wrapped up in comparing my “holiness” to the holiness of those around me.  Jesus gently reminds us that it’s not about them. It’s about you and Him. It’s not about someone’s opinion of your “level of holiness”. It’s about your personal and intimate time with Jesus, which no one needs to see for validation. I hope that as you begin this Lenten season you may enter into a secret place of prayer.  A secret place in your home or your heart that you reside with Him, that you don’t need to boast about. A place where you can just be and you can return to Him again.

Every hour, minute, and second is the most perfect time for us to return to Him. This is what Lent is all about. This is what Ash Wednesday is all about, remembering that we are dust and to dust, we shall return. It is now that Christ calls our hearts back to Him. “Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your WHOLE heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning.” When we simply decide to not make excuses, but to genuinely turn our hearts and eyes back to God, we encounter Him again. I’ve realized in my life that if I am not allowing myself to authentically encounter Jesus, my heart is far from His. An encounter is one of absolute goodness. Encountering Him is encountering graciousness, mercy, and freedom. He is slow to anger and rich in kindness. He does not come to condemn us, but to cleanse us. He cleans out all the gunk and crud that has been overlooked for too long. He wants to give us clean hearts and steadfast spirits. There is no better time than right now to bring your heart back to Him. I pray that you have a blessed Lenten season, focused on returning your heart to Him. I will strive to enter that sacred secret place and I hope you will too. Behold, now is a very acceptable time.  Behold, now is the day of salvation.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese
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Rise Up

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We apologize. We sent the wrong post yesterday. This is the correct post for yesterday. We will send the post for today shortly. God Bless!

As I write this blog, it is my first day back to work after being out sick for 2 whole days. It’s that time of year where students are coughing, sniffling, and teachers are catching every germ quickly! In Today’s Readings, I feel a closeness with the paralyzed man. It’s humbling to be sick, to need and rely on others. It contains a type of weakness that is truly uncomfortable. Personally, I stayed in my room in bed for the past 48 hours… I didn’t want to spread germs with my roommates and I didn’t have the energy to do anything. I can’t help but think of how this paralyzed man must have felt! He is being carried to Jesus and unable to make it through the crowd. Lucky for him, he’s got some amazing people in his life. The friends or family or whoever was carrying him on his cot decided not to stop and go back home. They didn’t give up and say, “Sorry, you can’t see Jesus. There’s no way we’d be able to get through the crowd.” Nope, they literally carried their paralyzed friend to the top of the roof of where Jesus was. They carried him and lowered him on his stretcher so that he could be in front of Jesus. Seriously, what incredible friends.

As the story continues, Jesus didn’t encounter him and automatically heal his disability. He began with a different healing, the forgiveness of his sins! This was automatically the first thing Jesus did when he saw the faith of this man! The Pharisees questioned him internally. It states, Jesus “knew their thoughts and said in reply, “What are you thinking in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” Exactly after this statement, he looks upon the sick and paralyzed man and commands, “I say to you, rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”

I don’t know about all of you, but at this moment I just want to jump up with my fist in the air and scream out to Jesus in full support. “YES, YOU GO JESUS! YOU TELL EM AND SHOW EM!” Jesus doesn’t just talk the talk, but ALWAYS follows through. In this intense moment that he has come to forgive sins- because He is God and He CAN. He doesn’t stop there, he heals his illness in a split second. He tells him to rise… I love that word. It’s commonly used by Jesus in special moments like this in Scripture. For me, this word gives warmth and tenderly leads me to keep going. It calls me to get up when I have fallen, to move, and to simply continue. Sometimes that can be hard, especially if you’re sick in bed. I don’t mean just physical illness, but spiritual as well. As human beings we are made body and soul, both are vital and important to who we are as sons and daughters of God. You could be sick from the cycle and chains of sin, sick with a physical or mental disease, or sick and weary trying in your journey of holiness. We can all relate to this man, even if we are not physically constrained to a stretcher. At least, I know I can.

There are a few points Jesus wants our hearts to know this day. First, we are all ill and in need of our Divine Healer. No matter how perfect life may seem, we all truly need healing in one aspect or another. I’m sure we can all agree on that! Second, we should have genuinely good people around us. If you don’t know who would carry you up a roof on that stretcher then pray a prayer of finding more faithful friends. If you wouldn’t BE that friend who carries another up a roof than go out of your way to serve others more today. Third, let’s rise.  Let’s hear His tender voice repeat those words to us in the deepest part of our hearts and let’s do it.  Rise in His grace, strength, and love. Rising in holiness, virtue, and recommitment to our friendship with Christ. Let’s continue on for love of Him.

 

Briana is a Catholic Doctrine teacher at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel school in Cleveland, OH. 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 bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese