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Foundational Wisdom

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So what is the deal with the list of ancestors? In the Gospels, we get Jesus’ genealogy, not once but twice! Since nothing happens in the Bible without a purpose, we can only ask, “Why?”

First, the genealogies establish the historical reliability of the Bible. Jesus didn’t live in a vacuum of time, space, and relationships. In Jewish tradition, people often introduced themselves in terms of family and tribe. The list in today’s reading firmly establishes Jesus as part of the human family; true God, true man.

The genealogies also document the fulfillment of many of the prophecies of the Old Testament. Abraham is promised descendants as numerous as the stars, through Jesus, we are all the children of Abraham, brothers, and sisters in God. Isaiah tells us that the Messiah will spring from the root of Jesse, and the genealogy shows where Jesse and his son, King David, are in Jesus’s family tree.

There are other lessons to learn from today’s Gospel. When we trace God’s creative action from Adam and Eve, the first couple, to Noah, the family saved in the flood, to Abraham from whose family will come a great nation, the common thread is family. We can see the importance of family in God’s plan.

It makes sense; God is love, and love is not passive. Love is an action. Love is actualized when it is poured out in service to another. The love between God the Father and Jesus the Son is so complete, it is the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. God loves us so much, he sends his
Son, his Son loves us so much, he pours out his very body and blood to bring us into the family. Family is foundational.

Today is the first of the O Antiphons. They signal a change in our Advent preparation from a focus on being ready for when we meet Jesus face to face to preparing for Jesus’ arrival into a human family as true God through the power of the Holy Spirit and true man as traced in the genealogy in Matthew.

We find the O Antiphon in today’s Gospel acclamation. “O Wisdom of our God Most High, guiding creation with power and love, come to teach us the path of knowledge!” In his infinite wisdom, personified in Jesus Christ, God chose this path to come to us and to draw us to himself and his foundation is family. With God as our Father and under the tutelage of Mother Church, we are family. In love, we pour ourselves out for one another and to those around us as we strive to follow the path of Jesus.

As we approach these last days before beginning our Christmas celebration, let us open our hearts to one another. Let us open our hearts to the wisdom of God and remember we are all family and that is foundational.

O Come, O Wisdom of our God Most High!

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Sheryl delights in being the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process whether it is studying for classes, deepening their prayer life or discovering new ways to serve together. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Brea, a Bernese Mountain dog and Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever.

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Are You Asking the Right Questions?

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She always knew the answer before she asked the question. Who tracked the mud in the kitchen? Who ate the last cookie and didn’t get rid of the wrapping? Who left their bookbag in the entry-way?

My mother had an uncanny way of knowing what I was up to even before I was up to anything. Don’t even think of doing that, she’d say, and the action never formed. She knew perfectly well who’d tracked the mud, who hadn’t tossed the package, who’d dropped the bookbag lazily in the front hall. She didn’t accuse; she didn’t have to. She wanted to hear the admission from me.

If I lied about anything, then she really had me. My lies were never fluent or well-thought-through; they were always spur-of-the-moment affairs meant to get me out of the immediate sticky situation. And when I lied, my mother would pounce. She knew where she had me then.

There’s a certain power in that, in putting someone in a corner and forcing them to tell you what you want to hear. It was fairly benign in my mother’s case—she was, after all, trying to raise me to be a thoughtful and tidy person—but it can very quickly get out of hand.

In today’s Gospel, the chief priests and elders are trying—yet again—to box Jesus into that corner. Who said you could do these things? Who told you that you could teach here? They’re not asking because they already know (although one or two of them must have had at least a glimmer of the truth by now) but because they want to trick him, to force him to say something they can use against him. There’s always a kind of Morton’s Fork at work when the authorities deal with Jesus, and they go into it thinking they’ve got him no matter how he answers… and then he delivers something they never saw coming.

He answers their question with a question, and bases his answer on their answer. For a man with minimal education—he was, after all, a carpenter, someone who worked with his hands—Jesus was thinking (to the minds of the elders, anyway) way above his pay-grade. And he had them in precisely the corner they’d tried to put him into. “Where was John’s baptism from?” he asks them. “Was it of heavenly or human origin?”

The authority figures go into a huddle. He’s got us, they admit. If we say John had heavenly authority, then Jesus has us, because we didn’t give John due respect. If we say John had earthly authority, we’ll be going against popular opinion and none of us wants that—who knows what could happen if the crowd gets riled up! Damn!

Remember, this encounter didn’t come out of the blue. Jesus was no stranger to controversy and conflict with the religious establishment. The priests and elders held a fixed view of how the Messiah should come, and when he doesn’t conform to their expectations, they demand to know the source of his authority… and he leaves them grappling emptily in their stubbornness of heart.

It’s worth noting that this exchange between Jesus indirectly emphasizes and elevates the stature of John the Baptist–and, in consequence, his prophecy about the One Who Is To Come. In today’s first reading, there’s a hint of the prophecy that would blossom with John: “I see him, though not now; I behold him, though not near. A star shall advance from Jacob, and a staff shall rise from Israel.”

But where does that leave us? How often do we split hairs about religion, asking the questions we think will box others into a corner and show how “right” we are? Do we ask questions, not to get answers, but to show ourselves in a good light? If we put ourselves into this scene from Matthew’s Gospel, how do we respond? Do we try to ask questions that limit our faith and that of others, or do we leave ourselves open to divine possibility?

I’m hoping I can answer with the latter. I hope I can ask questions without knowing the answer in advance. I hope I try to accept the mystery without second-guessing it.

My mother was right, most of the time, when she pointed out my shortcomings. But we cannot treat the world as we would a recalcitrant child, and we cannot assume we always know better than others. At the heart of both of today’s readings swirls the incense of mystery, of tentative faith, of possibility.

It’s not a bad image with which to start the new liturgical year.

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Jeannette de Beauvoir is a writer and editor with the digital department of Pauline Books & Media, working on projects as disparate as newsletters, book clubs, ebooks, and retreats that support the apostolate of the Daughters of St. Paul at http://www.pauline.org.

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Gaudete! Rejoice!

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Our liturgies for this Sunday take on a different tone than the first two Sundays of Advent. The vestments for Mass are rose instead of violet, and we light a pink candle to represent joyfulness in the middle of our waiting. We are reminded repeatedly to REJOICE! The Entrance Antiphon bids us to “Rejoice in the Lord always… Indeed, the Lord is near,” and the opening prayer continues the theme by asking God to “enable us… to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.” The First Reading tells us, “the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers and rejoice with joyful song” (Isaiah 35:2). We have reached “half-time” in our Advent preparation, and we are called to rejoice that the Lord is coming.

The Gospel for today focuses on John the Baptist, with Jesus answering the question about whether he is the “one who is to come” and then telling the crowd that “among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist.” John is the one sent to prepare the way of the Lord, the one who hoped in the Lord, who rejoiced in the Bridegroom and ultimately gave his life for the Truth. He is indeed a great prophet and more than a prophet.

But Jesus gives a surprising comment at the end: he says that “the least in the kingdom of heaven is even greater than” John! The least is greater. Jesus wants us to understand that his Kingdom is essentially unlike any other kingdom: of those who enter, the humblest will be most exalted in it! Our way of judging and rewarding is not God’s way of judging and rewarding. Jesus came to turn the world’s understanding upside down, to bring God’s Light so that we can learn to see as He sees and to teach us to walk with him in our baptismal grace toward holiness and joy only God can give.

It is only because Jesus became one of us – a man like us in all things but sin – that we are enabled to become adopted sons and daughters of the Father, who is Love, and be lifted up into the eternal Kingdom of Christ.

This is why, even as we await the fullness of this Kingdom, the Church rejoices today, singing “Gaudete!”

He is near!

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

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The Telling of Jesus

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In the First Reading today, we hear of the wondrous deeds of Elijah, re-establishing the tribes of Jacob. In today’s Gospel we hear about prophets telling the coming of Elijah and John the Baptist, but none of these are as important as the telling of Jesus. We are reminded in the Gospel acclamation to “Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths: All flesh shall see the salvation of God.” 

With hearts of longing this advent, let us cling to our Responsorial Psalm of today, “Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.” How has your advent been so far? Have you asked yourself if you’re ready for Christ to come again? 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “When the Church celebrates the liturgy of Advent each year… the faithful renew their ardent desire for his second coming” (CCC 524). How strong is your desire for His second coming? The prayer of the Responsorial Psalm is a perfect way to ready our hearts this Advent, asking God to help us turn to him. Pleading for Him to show his face to us. May we all encounter Christ in a new way this Advent, keeping our eyes open to see Him in our daily lives as we continue to wait for Christmas and for Him to come again.

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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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Bringing the Light to Every Darkened Place

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Jesus’ generation is much like ours, with people ready to take up the gossip on the prevailing wind and believe whatever is being said, rather than working to see the truth and go against the flow when necessary.

Jesus is never one to mince words, and when the situation demands it, he calls out the faults of his listeners. He has one goal in doing this: to get their attention so that they will not MISS THE TIME OF HIS COMING, the hour of redemption. He sees everything from an eternal perspective, the perspective of the whole history of salvation, but his listeners are often like children, subject to their whims and moods at the moment, rather than being awake to objective truth and wisdom.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus compares them to children in the marketplaces, who cannot see things clearly or judge them rightly. They accused John the Baptist of being possessed because he lived a solitary life of fasting and preaching. Because Jesus was “eating and drinking,” they accused him of being a glutton and a drunkard. The people were unable to see that wisdom guided both of their lives completely! Jesus tells us: “Wisdom is vindicated by her works.” And in the end, everything will be clear.

In a world in which trends rise and fall quickly, in which social media facilitates a kind of “mob hysteria” from one moment to the next, in which any opinion can take on the authority of fact because it has a wide circulation, it is important that we “put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:12) so that we can SEE the Truth clearly and are not “carried away by all kinds of strange teaching” (Heb 13:9). In a world of confusion, a world that has no place for objective truth, it is important that we ground ourselves in the One who IS truth so that we can recognize the distortions (and a half-truth can be more dangerous than a lie!).

Each Advent, we have a fresh opportunity to shake off the confusions of the culture and focus fully on the truth: that God loves us, that God comes to dwell with us, that God has a beautiful plan for each of us. In seeking ourselves and all meaningfulness in God, we can act in line with true principles in our very real situations, bringing the Light of Christ to every darkened place.

If we make this our goal, God will provide fresh grace as well, allowing us to do what we long to do for the good of others and for His glory. Maranatha!

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

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Our Lady Unites us to our Lord

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Today we celebrate the Patroness of all of the Americas. This feast day has become such a great celebration that it can no longer be contained to Mexico alone. Our loving Mother, back in 1531, appeared to Juan Diego as Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is accredited with freeing the Mexican people from idolatry and reconciling the Spanish and indigenous peoples in a common devotion. In other words, she single-handedly united the Mexican people and converted virtually the entire nation to Catholicism.

The miraculous qualities of the image she left on Juan Diego’s cloak are simply amazing. There are several people reflected in her eyes, including Juan Diego himself and the bishop he was asked to approach. The material’s temperature is 98.6 degrees, the same as a living person. No one has been able to replicate the pigments found in the image, neither from mineral, animal or vegetable sources. The image has been preserved for over 500 years, despite fire, a bomb, and an acid spill, not to mention that the fibrous fabric normally deteriorates after just 15 years.

Having lived in Mexico for three and a half years as a missionary, I have witnessed the incredible devotion there. Multiple images of her adorn almost every home. Novenas and rosaries occur at churches and in homes leading up to her feast day. Hundreds of thousands of faithful travel in pilgrimage each year, some are walking on their knees to arrive at her shrine on December 12th. Their devotion to her brings them to communion, to Christ, to the Eucharist.

I had the privilege to visit the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine several times while I lived there. The whole area has such a holy feel to it. Her presence is palpable. But I think what impacted me the most was the fact that people from all over the world, from diverse political parties, a gamut of social classes, differing colors of skin, ways of dress, from the very rich to the very poor, were found there, and they were all doing the very same thing: Praying. A moving walkway under her image kept “traffic” flowing, but most went back and forth multiple times, lips moving, hands raised, eyes elevated. You could see the faith and perhaps the desperation of each person there, all human beings crying out for intercession from the Mother of God and our Mother. Just as she united the Mexican people in the 1500s, she continues to unite all of us today.

I had many difficult moments as a missionary. Moments of vocational crisis, incomprehension, loneliness, and longing, and what got me through it all were my nightly visits to Our Lady. I would cry out to her, and often I would cry. I would pour out my woes and feel her soothe me, as a mother calms her child.

We are almost halfway through this Advent season. I would invite you, as you prepare your hearts for the coming of the Christ-Child, to do so hand in hand with Our Blessed Mother. She is the person closest to our Lord, the one who knows Him the best, knows His heart, knows your heart. For the remainder of this Advent, allow her to unite your heart to His.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Receive Rest

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“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

One simple Gospel verse with so much hope and longing. A perfect Gospel verse for Advent. A Gospel verse that speaks to the depth of my heart right now and hopefully one that will do the same for you. Let’s break it down. 

Come to me: we have to seek the Lord. He extends the invitation to us, but He never forces our hand. God desires for us to come to Him, just like He came to us in the person of His Son Jesus, but He will not take free will away from us. We have to take the step to meet Him. 

All you who labor and are burdened: God’s invitation is for all, not just a select few faithful followers. We all labor – in our mission of proclaiming the kingdom of God here on earth, in the day-to-day work of our careers, and in living out our vocations of single, married, priests or religious. It’s not easy, and, in our labor, we encounter many difficulties and sufferings that burden us. These burdens can take many different forms. We have natural evil and suffering like illnesses, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. Then we also have moral evil and suffering that is caused by sins such as violence, cruelty, and hatred. And STILL, God invites all of us and our mess to come to Him. 

And I will give you rest: With all of our work and all of our burdens, we need rest. We think we can find rest in the things of this world: in money, clothes, food, relationships (both friendships and romantic relationships) and more. But, ultimately, all of those things will fall short as they only provide short-term happiness. We still desire something more. The root of our happiness, the root of all of our desires, is in God alone. In God, we find the peace and comfort that will fill our hearts and our cups to overflowing. 

Our longing is for God, and our hope is for the rest that calms our labor and our suffering. These themes and this particular Gospel verse extend way past Advent. This hope and this longing will last for the rest of our lives.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Give Comfort to my People

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COM-FORT: a state of physical ease and freedom from pain or constraint; the easing or alleviation of a person’s feelings of grief or distress; a state or situation in which you are relaxed and do not have any physically unpleasant feelings; a state or feeling of being less worried, upset, frightened during a time of trouble or emotional pain; to give strength and hope; to strengthen by inspiring with hope and restoring a cheerful outlook.

Where do you find comfort? I have to admit, for me, it is a large bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy with a side plate of fried chicken (ya know—comfort food)! Or perhaps the pleasure of petting my cat when she’s on my lap, and I can see the contentment in her eyes when she looks up at me as I scratch her neck and chin. Pretty trite, perhaps, given the definitions above and given the phenomenal imagery in today’s readings. “Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God.” I’m sure Isaiah asked the questions: “how do I do this”? “Like a shepherd, he feeds his flock; in his arms, he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom and leading the ewes with care.” And from the Gospel: “…he rejoices more over it [the one who has gone astray] than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.”

I love Isaiah. I especially love this reading and am always thrilled when I get to proclaim it at Mass. I find my heart uplifted and ever more hopeful knowing that my God is telling me that the people’s exile, anguish, and anxiety is over as is mine, and yours. Knowing this, we should be able to shout out from the mountain the glad tidings that we need not fear! Our God is here. He alone rules with power, and he alone will shepherd his people, shepherd us. He feeds us with his own body and blood and carries us close to his bosom with care.

The Gospel reiterates this image of Jesus as the shepherd who will not let one single soul be lost without his constant efforts to bring it back to his fold. It’s a beautiful image. It is, I believe, the ultimate comforting image of our God shown us through his Son. If at any time you are in despair or don’t know where to turn for answers – for comfort – this is the image to which you should turn. I have to admit it will often bring me to tears.

Advent is the season of anticipation – the time of waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus – but also to anticipate the coming time of our redemption in the death and resurrection of Jesus. It should be a joyful time, as well as a time of assessment of the state of our souls. Are we ready to receive him? Are we willing to be as the little ones – the little lambs – to be snatched up to his bosom and carried into that state of comfort? Oh, we can stand firm on our laurels and be “self-made” or “self-sufficient.” But I caution you to remember that those who rely on themselves alone usually find themselves in those states of fear and anxiety. Only our shepherd, only our Lord, and King can bring us to a state of hope – and comfort. I leave you with some of my favorite words:

“In the desert prepare the way of the LORD!
Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God!
Every valley shall be filled in,
every mountain and hill shall be made low;
The rugged land shall be made a plain,
the rough country, a broad valley.
Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed,
and all people shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

God Bless.

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Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager at Diocesan, is a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. Jeanne has worked in parish ministry as an RCIA director, in Liturgy, and as a Cantor. Working word puzzles and reading fill her spare time. Jeanne can be reached at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.

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Marian Consecration

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Just this past week, I started my second time through the process of consecrating myself to Jesus through Mary. It has been so busy in my life, and I find myself gravitating towards our Lady, desiring the stillness and the obedience that she demonstrated in her life. I desire to be more like her every day and to ultimately fall more in love with Jesus.

Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a beautiful devotion and preparation any time of year, but I specifically chose this preparation during the season of Advent. As we prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus on Christmas, prayer and time contemplating the fiat of Mary can truly help us to better open our hearts for our Savior.

There are many formats for Marian consecration to choose from. This year I am focusing on a particular text that focuses on prayer and scripture. The book is entitled Totus Tuus: Consecration to Jesus through Mary with Saint John Paul II by Fr. Brian McMaster. I encourage you to prayerfully consider consecration to Jesus through Mary. Our Lady is a gift from Jesus, and she will guide us closer to Jesus as we walk the journey of our time on earth. Trust in her intercession and know that a deeper devotion to Mary will automatically increase our love for Jesus. Even if you are not feeling ready to embark on the journey of consecration, be not afraid – God will show you the path He wants you to take all in His time, and this includes the ways in which He desires for you to love Mary more.

“Always stay close to this heavenly mother, because she is the sea to be crossed to reach the shores of eternal splendor.”
– St. Padre Pio –

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

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Active Waiting

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It’s the first Saturday of Advent. We know it is a time of anticipating and preparing for the coming of our Lord. There is a flurry and hum to this season as we actively wait for the infant’s birth. 

Actively waiting? I hadn’t heard the term; however, the concept makes a lot of sense. Think about it; waiting implies that something expected is going to happen to you or to be in readiness for an event to happen. I wait for the water to boil before I make a cup (who am I kidding, a pot) of black tea. I wait to hear the outcome of someone’s medical procedure. I wait in line to go to confession and receive the grace and mercy of God through His forgiveness. I wait in line to receive the presence, love, and grace of His Son in the Eucharist at Mass. I wait to put up the nativity scene as Advent is four weeks long. (Historically, Joseph and Mary hadn’t even left at this point in time to go to Bethlehem for the census).

I could just rock back and forth on my heels or drum my fingers while I wait. Typically, I am doing some kind of preparation to ready myself in anticipation of an event. Lists are made or post-it notes scribbled with prompts to remind me of what needs to be done. Many times, I forget to start the lists and notes with a prayer as well as to weave prayer in throughout the process.

I also forget the last line of today’s gospel, a line that usually is overlooked. “We have received without cost; without cost, we are to give.”

As children, we can be oblivious to having a winter coat or a warm bed that waits for us at the end of the day. For so many of us, those things were given without a cost to us. 

I had a friend who didn’t have a winter coat. My family wanted to give one to her from our front hall closet (it was very gently used). The offer was refused because of a perception that the gift needed to be reciprocated (I didn’t find this out until years later). I have had a couple of friends over the years who’ve needed a place to live due to the loss of their family home. Each time I had an empty bed, so the offers were accepted. I have friends who insisted I sleep in their home after a minor surgery, to make sure I was O.K. after being under anesthesia. 

What does it cost you to give to someone else? Your time? It doesn’t cost anything to give blood. You can donate gently used clothing and shoes to a shelter or community organization. Isn’t there a person who lives close that you know doesn’t get out (or have people coming to visit them)? Just saying hello, waving a greeting, or bringing a garbage can from the curb can be a small friendly gesture. By adding an extra item or two to your grocery cart the next time you are shopping, add the item as a donation to the food pantry at church, which is given to those who are in need. 

Are you available to be open and vulnerable by trusting another with your own personal story or to listen without judgment to someone else’s journey, which needs to be heard in a safe space to vent? 

Take a moment; what are you actively waiting for this Advent

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Beth is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She brings a unique depth of experience to the group due to her time spent in education, parish ministries, sales and the service industry over the last 25 yrs. She is a practicing spiritual director as well as a Secular Franciscan (OFS). Beth is quick to offer a laugh, a prayer or smile to all she comes in contact with. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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Hospitality

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When he entered the house, the blind men approached him, and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I can do this?”

There is a beautiful subtlety to this story that often gets overlooked in our desire to see and understand the miracle.

Jesus encounters the blind men on the road, and they appeal to him using a name which defines who they think the messiah will be, not who Jesus says He is. But even though they call Jesus by a name he doesn’t choose for himself, pay attention to what happens next.

“When he entered the house, the blind men approached him.”

“When he entered the house.” Jesus encounters these men on the road. They call him by a name that Jesus chastises the scribes for using, but when Jesus enters the house the blind men go with him.

I am from the midwest and it is pretty common for people to invite one another over to their homes for opportunities for fellowship and fun. It wasn’t until I was staying in New York City and someone took me to their apartment and told me that New Yorkers just don’t invite people over, at least partially because no one can afford a place big enough for entertaining. Entering into someone’s home is special, you get invited. There are even social protocols for bringing a small gift or some food to offer in response to their hospitality.

Jesus entered into the house and the blind men entered with him. Before the miracle, before asking if they believe, it all started with an act of hospitality.

The babe, born in a stable because no one had room for his laboring mother, brings them into his home.

What a beautiful Advent challenge for us. What a beautiful and stress-reducing idea! I don’t need to make this the most amazing Christmas ever. I don’t need to make sure that each child attends perfectly to each of my carefully planned Advent activities. I don’t even need to make sure that every meal is Pinterest-photo ready. I am not the worker of miracles. I am not asking people to believe in me. I don’t want them to see me, I want them to see Jesus. My job is to follow Jesus’s example and help people to feel welcomed and wanted. My job is to imitate Jesus where I can. And while I can’t work miracles, I can look at others and see them for who they are in God’s eyes. I can offer small acts of hospitality, living moment to moment and really experiencing the joy of being with the person right in front of me. It doesn’t even necessarily mean bringing someone into my home. It might be just putting my phone down when I am around others. It might be making eye contact and saying thank you to the woman who is finishing a long shift at the grocery store. It might be paying forward a cup of coffee in the drive-thru or coffee shop. It might just be an encouraging word to someone hurting or alone. Those small acts (especially when I don’t feel like being warm and fuzzy) are the window which allows others to see Jesus at home in me.

As we continue this journey through Advent, as we prepare to welcome Jesus into our hearts at Mass and into the world at the Nativity, let’s offer to one another those small acts of welcome that prepare us for the miracle.

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Sheryl delights in being the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process whether it is studying for classes, deepening their prayer life or discovering new ways to serve together. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Brea, a Bernese Mountain dog and Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever.

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The Short List

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This past weekend, we listened to the Sunday Gospel in which Jesus is amazed by the soldier’s faith in him. We receive the line that we hear in Mass each week as the centurion says, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed.” 

I go back to this gospel because, in today’s readings, we are reminded of three things:

  1. Trust in our Lord
  2. Give thanks to the Lord
  3. Faithful action leads us to the Lord

This short list is what we need to do in our daily lives to get to heaven and when I list it out, it looks so simple! In practice, we know it’s a bit more difficult. Here are some things you can start doing to prepare for the coming of Christ on Christmas day.

Trust
Trusting in the Lord means relinquishing control and allowing ourselves to feel the peace of God’s will. Allow yourself to understand that your plan may not always be God’s plan for you. Take the time to write down the times your plan has gone wrong only for it to all work out better than you had hoped. When things aren’t going your way, pray, “Not my will, but yours be done.”

Giving Thanks
With Thanksgiving weekend just barely behind us, it is the perfect time to continue giving thanks to the Lord besides when you go to Mass on Sundays and before meals. Open your eyes to the wonders of God in your life. Say prayers of thanksgiving when you wake up and before you go to bed. Thank God for not only the good in your daily life but also for the struggles that make you stronger and guide you along His path for you.

Faithful Action
This can be the most difficult for people to do. What is faithful action? To me, it’s taking the time to be present with your faith and the people you should be sharing it with. Ask your friends if they want to attend Mass with you and then go out to eat and discuss the readings. Say Merry Christmas instead of Happy Holidays. Find ways to serve your community through soup kitchens, your local St. Vincent de Paul Society, or consider making your own Boxes of Love for the homeless. 

Through each of these ideas, you will be preparing your heart not only for the coming of Jesus at Christmas but for the kingdom of heaven.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.