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Unity vs. Division

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Today’s readings hit hard when it comes to our world today. I do Evangelization for a collaborative of parishes, and something I have noticed time and again through our courses and events is that a lot of people do not think deeply about religion.

There seems to be this idea in the world today that as long as Jesus is mentioned and you live a good life, then all religions are exactly the same. I want to challenge this position a little using the second reading from today. Here, Paul is clear that we are not supposed to be divided. For 1,500 years of church history, we had more unity than division. I think it is safe to say that we now have much more division than unity. With thousands of different denominations to choose from, the question should be, what is the Church that Jesus founded, and should it be one?

To me, religion is much more than finding a place that fits my spirituality, I am looking for the Church of Christ that he wanted to be united. I have to imagine that Luther had good intentions and would not have done what he did if he could have seen where we are at today. I don’t think his intention was to fragment the Church into thousands of different churches. I think his intention was to reform the One Church. But here we are today.

The reason I want to bring more and more people into the Catholic Church is that I believe that in spite of all her faults, this is the Church Jesus founded, and the gates of hell shall not prevail. If we believe in one united Church founded by Christ, then we should want to bring everyone into it. If we believe that all denominations are equal and it doesn’t really matter what you believe, then we will not want to bring anyone to the Church.

This is the question for today. Do we believe in the Church founded by Christ, and do we want unity as Paul so desperately wanted in today’s readings? The answer to this question will either inspire action or allow for complacency. Which is it for you? May God bless you today and always!

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Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

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Thank You, God, For In-Between Spaces

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“I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia… [I was] brought up… [I was] educated strictly in our ancestral law… I persecuted the Way to death…” Thus Paul tells his story.

We are who we are as adults because of who we were as kids. Our habits, attitudes, and beliefs are often rooted in what we learned before we were three, what we heard, what we experienced, the values of those who cared for us. Imperceptibly we were shaped and formed by those who loved us, certainly, but who also were struggling with their own inner issues. Their own demons. We bear each other’s burdens.

Today I sit at meals still struggling to engage, carrying forward attitudes and habits from long ago. And so did Paul. His persecution of the Way was a faithful carrying out of his strict education on the ancestral law.

On the way to Damascus, Paul was leaving Jerusalem behind. He was leaving his native territory. His friends. His memories. The network of relationships, expectations, and boundaries that had defined him. He walked outside what was certain and at the same time Jesus was coming toward Paul. Jesus had summoned Paul mysteriously through Paul’s own plans to persecute the members of the Way. And in the liminal space between Jerusalem and his planned appointment in Damascus, in the place of vulnerability, Paul and Jesus encountered one another. 

The strict adherent to ancestral law discovered that Jesus was, as his followers had claimed, alive. In some way, by hurting his followers he was hurting Jesus. 

Jesus called Paul further into the in-between-space where transformation can be initiated. Paul lost his sight on the outskirts of Damascus, lay in bed for three days in a desert-dependence on the God who had reached out to grasp his heart and then had plunged him through the hands of Ananias into the baptismal dying and rising in which Paul left his very self behind. Not just his plans. Not just his agency and protagonism. But his self. His old self. In what he would describe in Ephesians as “the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self – life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions” (Eph. 4:22 TPT).

Jesus is already walking toward you. Be certain that when you are drawn into that liminal no man’s land where you lose your sure footing before the God who reveals himself to you in some way, that you are on the Pauline path of conversion. 

Be sure that you will, like Paul, lose the clarity and certainty of being able to see through the filters firmly in place through a lifetime of reinforced belief. You will lose your power and as you walk through a desert you will have no way forward except what God will give you. You will lose the illusions of your old self. Your values will be refashioned, your priorities will change, your plans will be torn up. Heart will replace the violence of forcing on the world around you the stories that have shaped you since childhood’s early experiences. Your inner being will be renewed.

I love the way St Paul put it in the letter to the Ephesians:

“If you have really experienced the Anointed One, and heard his truth, it will be seen in your life; for we know that the ultimate reality is embodied in Jesus!

And he has taught you to let go of the lifestyle of the ancient man, the old self – life, which was corrupted by sinful and deceitful desires that spring from delusions. Now it’s time to be made new by every revelation that’s been given to you. And to be transformed as you embrace the glorious Christ-within as your new life and live in union with him! For God has re-created you all over again in his perfect righteousness, and you now belong to him in the realm of true holiness” (Eph. 4:21-24 TPT).

Today is the only day in the liturgical year that we celebrate the feast of the conversion of a saint. That day, and Paul’s response, were pivotal to civilization and Christianity from that day to what one day will be the end of the world. That’s how powerful a conversion is! 

Jesus is walking towards you, calling you out from your net of attitudes, thought-patterns and security into his arms because Jesus wants to send you, as he did Paul, to proclaim that you have met him and been transfixed by the love of his heart.

In this space of the heart’s being discovered we find re-creation, new life in union with Jesus, and true holiness.

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Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey.

Website: www.touchingthesunrise.com

Public Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/srkathrynhermes/

For monthly spiritual journaling guides, weekly podcasts and over 50 conferences and retreat programs join my Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/srkathryn.

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Listen, Learn, Repent

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When I sit down to write a blog post, my first thought is, “What can we learn from these readings? What can we take to heart and to prayer?” Upon first glance, I thought today’s first reading was more of an entertaining story with little to no takeaway while the Gospel, the call of the 12 apostles, had all of the substance. I must admit that I was wrong.

There is a lot to unpack in the dialogue between David and Saul. First and foremost, we see David’s ability to discern the voice of the Lord and follow His commands. On the other hand, David’s servants thought they heard the Lord’s voice clearly when they encouraged David to kill Saul, his enemy, who was seeking his life. However, David knew that Saul was the Lord’s anointed one and that he had been forbidden by the Lord to lay a hand on his master. And so David clearly heard and understood the Lord’s voice, sparing Saul’s life.

How clearly do we hear the Lord’s voice in our own lives? Do we hear His voice, ignore it, and choose to listen to the noise of our culture and society instead? I believe struggling to hear the Lord’s voice is why so many of us struggle in times of prayer. We turn to God in prayer seeking answers, His input, His wisdom, His love, and so much more. When we don’t hear or see a response clear enough for our human eyes, we question whether our prayer was heard and whether God cares about us. The Lord’s voice is often heard in the silence, in peace, and in stillness. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the ways He works in the little spaces, the little corners of our lives.

We can also learn a lesson from Saul in the first reading too. When David confronts Saul, revealing that he had spared his life, Saul embraces the spirit of repentance and forgiveness. Saul realized that he had been in the wrong as he sought to kill David and recognized David’s generosity.

In our human condition, we experience so much need for repentance and forgiveness. We sin, and we involve others in our sin. We need mercy and forgiveness, which is won for us by Christ on the cross, but we also need this mercy on a human level. A lot can be accomplished by the words, “I’m sorry for what I have done. Can you please forgive me?” Words that should be spoken to each other but especially to our Heavenly Father through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Although we just wrapped up the seasons of Advent and Easter, this sentiment is a wonderful Lenten attitude.

Stop. Listen for the Lord’s voice. Follow His commands. Ask for forgiveness when we don’t follow His commands. Repeat. Thank you, David and Saul, for these simple reminders.

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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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The Quiet Voice of God

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The readings today bring up some situations that challenge us in ways that can make us uncomfortable when we take a deeper look.

The first reading has Saul contemplating murder because of his wounded pride and jealousy of the fame David gained by the defeat of Goliath. Jonathan questions the logic of his father, Saul, who would be guilty of shedding innocent blood without cause if he had David killed. Saul is guilty of two of the seven deadly sins: pride and envy. He was also ready to act in anger, another of the big seven sins. Saul listened to his son and did no harm to David.

In the gospel, Jesus had cured many people. As a result, those who had diseases were pressing upon him to touch him. Whenever unclean spirits saw him, they would fall down before him and shout, “You are the Son of God.” Jesus warned them sternly not to make him known. 

The spirits recognized the Son of God’s authority over them and were afraid.

The belief of the time was that the root of sickness and disease was sin and evilness of the individual, their family, or the community around them. Throughout all eras, there have been many who believed this to be true. Many were shunned or forced to remote areas to fend for themselves.

When Jonathan had heard his father Saul talking about killing David, he spoke up about the wrong that would be done. How many of us have hesitated when there is someone with more authority and power who considers doing something that is contrary to what we know is right and just? My mind is flooded with images of stockpiled relief supplies meant for disaster victims, of victims of hate crimes, forced labor, unjust imprisonment, the list goes on. 

We celebrate the feast day of St. Marianne Cope on this, her birthday, in 1838. Mother Marianne received a letter in 1883 from a priest in Hawaii asking for help serving in hospitals and schools. Over 50 religious orders had already turned down the request to assist the sick and poor of this island kingdom. But Mother Marianne and 6 of her sisters left for Hawaii to take up the task. 

It is sometimes in the quiet voice that God speaks: through David, Gandhi, through Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, and St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta and St. Marianne Cope. 

Pray today to hear God’s voice in the quiet. What is He calling you to notice, to change in your own way of life, or in a bigger situation? Remember, we are called to hear His voice, to be His hands and words in this world.

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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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Goliath Has Many Faces

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Have you faced any goliaths recently? Did you run in fear, or did you face the battle? Was the outcome good or bad? How did you meet your goliath: with grit and tenacity alone, or coupled with your faith that God will help you prevail? All good questions to ask and answer, and only you and I can answer them.

My cat, Sophie, was just diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a form of cancer. She just started a regimen of prednisone and chemotherapy. Now, she doesn’t know how or why she’s feeling the way she is. But I do. And I am, honestly, terrified of losing my companion. She has been with me since the death of my mother, and she has truly established a relationship with me. She spends a lot of time on my lap and nestles in looking for comfort.

Now, I know that some will say to me: I’m sorry you and Sophie have to go through this. And others will say: Hey, it’s just a cat! True. I have friends and family that are also battling cancer, and they have family members and friends to comfort them and give them strength. Sophie only has me. At this moment, her cancer is my goliath.

Today’s first reading is one of the iconic stories of the Old Testament, the triumph of David over the giant Philistine, Goliath. As we know, David prevailed. I have to admit that one of my guilty pleasures is any story or movie in which the underdog betters the “giant,” the bully in the story, and I cheer at the end when the big guy is deflated. This storyline is used over and over again with different characters and slightly different circumstances. I love a good “David won” ending.

We can make these same storyline comparisons to our times of struggling with significant obstacles: illnesses, job issues, divorce, loss of a child or loved one, etc., so we can all relate. The big question is how we overcome these struggles. David trusted in God, the Lord of Israel, to be his backup and strength. David trusted, and, coupled with his knowledge of the sling, faced the giant and defeated him. I believe each of us has a few “slings” in our arsenals of defense when fighting our goliaths, but none stronger than trust in God and faith in the fact that God will shore us up when we are in need. Very simple to say, but more challenging to put into action. The alternative is to run in fear and be defeated. That is not an outcome any of us want. Facing those fears with faith can only serve to make us stronger than we were when we started the battle.

Do you pray daily, hourly, minute by minute when fighting your goliath? Do you pray for faith even in the good times and not just rely on God when feeling defeated? Sophie may only be a cat, but I still pray that I will have the strength to see her through the tough times and, perhaps, even have to lose her to keep her from suffering needlessly. Her cause is just as important to me at this time of my life than any of the other things I’ve faced. Nothing is too small or insignificant to warrant prayer and trust. Whatever you face will need your prayer and faith to overcome.

Today is the National Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Here is the goliath in the room of today’s culture, among other issues. The faithfulness and prayer of millions, working in the fields of medical science and political legislation, have helped in making great strides in limiting the destruction of these innocents, but there is much more work to do. Can it be done? I believe it can. Think of the great things our country, as well as the world, has overcome through prayer: the fall of Russia, the Berlin Wall, the great world wars, equality, to name just a few. These accomplishments are not only through military might but the might of prayer, especially the Rosary, to change people’s hearts. If we learn anything from all of this, it is to not give up, ever, in the face of injustice.

So, hang in there! In the end, God will always prevail. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

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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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Personal Romance

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Today we remember St. Agnes, a martyr for the faith back in the 300s. She devoted her life to Christ, set apart for him alone, and thus she refused men who pursued her for marriage. Due to outrage at her refusal, she was killed for being a Christian. God protected her throughout her life, including the trials she faced before her martyrdom. God loved her perfectly, and He loves each of us perfectly.

The other day our parish priest said that Catholics everywhere would fall in love with Jesus truly if they realized the perfect love He has for us, how He is always waiting in the tabernacle for us. If we truly pray and meditate upon the love of God and what that really means, we would never be able to miss Mass or put other agendas as a higher priority than our relationship with Christ. This made me reflect upon my relationship with Christ even further and how if I am to follow Him truly, then He must become Lord of my life beyond the words I say – I must show this in my daily actions.

Do I attend a weekly holy hour? John Paul II, during his pontificate, asked that the Faithful attend a weekly holy hour. He would visit Jesus multiple times daily. This statement alone is so hard for me to picture. While I know he was pope and had the ability to visit Jesus often, his schedule was very busy, beyond many of the days I think I am busy. He would visit towns, and if there was an adoration chapel, he would pause his entire schedule to go make time to sit at the feet of Jesus in prayer.

Do we have a devotion to Christ, like St. Agnes, a true romance? Do we faithfully find time to spend with Jesus in our local parish each week (or even once a month)? My challenge to you and me is to find a time to go sit with Jesus this week. Even if we just sit with Him for five minutes, we will be joining in the mission to satisfy His thirst for souls. He longs for you and me – this is personal and not just a fluffy story. His love is real; just like His true presence in the Eucharist is real. Let us increase our devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament more than we ever have.

“When you approach the tabernacle, remember that He has been waiting for you for twenty centuries.”
-St. Josemaria Escriva

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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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Mission in Life

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It seems like I am always harping on my kids to listen to me. “Come down and eat your breakfast!” “Go put on your socks and shoes!” “Where’s the TV remote?” “Quit pushing your brother!” I give so many time outs for disobedience or “selective hearing” if that’s what you want to call it. There is always a reason, always an excuse. When it comes down to it, they simply don’t do what I ask them to or stall for roughly a month or two.

Samuel expresses his frustration with Saul in today’s First Reading for similar reasons. He didn’t obey the Lord’s command. Saul tries to explain it away by saying he did some of what the Lord asked, a portion of it, and then whines about how his army started misbehaving. Well, just like putting on one sock instead of two really isn’t obeying, Saul really didn’t obey, and God decided it was time for someone else to rule.

We truly are blessed abundantly when we walk alongside the Lord. Saul was given the privilege of ruling as long as he obeyed. Once he disobeyed, that privilege was taken away. Most of the time, when I tell my kids to put their socks and shoes on, it’s because I am going to take them someplace fun. When they listen, they have the privilege of going with me.

Just as Samuel told Saul, “The Lord anointed you the king of Israel and sent you on a mission,” we have also been anointed by the Lord in baptism and given a mission in life. The great majority of us are not kings or rulers or even CEO’s, but we do have a mission. Perhaps for some, their mission is more clear, like those called to the priesthood or religious life, but for others, we struggle to realize what that mission is.

Maybe we can draw some direction from the Gospel and seek to pour new wine into fresh wineskins. Yes, we can be a font of renewal, a breath of fresh air, a positive voice in this negative world. We can care, engage, share, listen, and love. We can attempt to be that upright person the Psalmist speaks of in order to see and spread the saving power of God. Through obedience to Him, we can truly be the face of Christ to all we meet.

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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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Supernatural Faith

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Sometimes faith can be hard. We all know it, we have felt it, we have experienced times of desolation and consolation in our faith. The beauty about faith is that God is the one behind it. Sometimes we put faith on our own shoulders as if we just study enough or go to Mass every Sunday we will earn faith, but the reality is, similar to Grace, that faith is a free gift from the Lord that he wants to grant us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is the type of faith that John the Baptist had in the Gospel. I love how he says he did not know Jesus, but he prepared the way for him. Imagine that! In our world today we can experience Jesus in the Eucharist, we have the written word about his life, we have two thousand years of Church and historical history to fall back on and yet, faith is still difficult. John the Baptist had none of this and his faith was strong.

I think this is because we all too often put too much stock in ourselves. Thoughts like, “I have faith through my own power or knowledge or I gained MY faith of my own accord.” It doesn’t need to be that complicated or coated in pressure. Faith is a free gift. Let’s not be afraid to ask for it.

I think sometimes we have made the Holy Spirit into something that only comes around in sacraments and we have made God the Father into the angry God of the old Testament. Most of us relate better to Jesus. But the reality is that Jesus was revealed to John the Baptist by the Father and confirmed to him through the power of the Holy Spirit. It was the first and third persons of the Trinity who taught him faith. So if you struggle in your Christian walk, if you struggle in your life with Christ, if you struggle with faith, don’t forget to ask God the Father to reveal Christ to you and for the Holy Spirit to confirm that relationship in your heart. Be blessed!

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Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

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Anointed, Now What?

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“The anointing with sacred chrism, perfumed oil consecrated by the bishop, signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized, who has become a Christian, that is, one “anointed” by the Holy Spirit, incorporated into Christ who is anointed priest, prophet, and king” CCC 1241

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a Christian is one anointed by the Holy Spirit and incorporated into Christ, priest, prophet, and king. Today’s reading helps us to go deeper into what it means to share in Christ’s kingship.

Saul is out on a wild goose chase. Well, he was actually hunting for his father’s donkeys, but I can only imagine as he searched land after land, he must have felt like it was a hopeless cause. Out of obedience to his father, this man described as ‘head and shoulders above the people’ is on what may have felt like a fool’s errand. But there he was, far from home searching for lost donkeys when he was spotted by Samuel and God assures Samuel, “This is the man of whom I told you.”

With a kiss and the anointing of oil, Saul is told: “This will be the sign for you that the Lord has appointed you commander over his heritage.” He is to be king of God’s chosen people, a precursor to Jesus’s own kingship. But what does it mean to be king? To be commander over God’s heritage?

We think of kings and pictures of fairy tale castles pop into our heads; the idea of being able to do as you like and have servants to grant your every wish. This is what our culture teaches us about kings and their reigns.

The other readings help us find another, more captivating answer. “The Lord sent me to bring glad tidings to the poor and to proclaim liberty to captives.” (Luke 4:18) “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)

As usual, the Gospel turns the message of our modern culture on its head. Biblical kings are meant to be servant kings. They are at the service of God’s heritage. They are to bring glad tidings to the poor. We aren’t told if this is poor in money or the poor in spirit because it doesn’t matter. Our world is full of those who are held captive by addiction, illness, and sin. What is needed by each one may be different, but the need is still to be met by the king and the royal family. The king is not to be a closeted, pampered resident of the nearest castle but is to go out to those in need. The king is called to be present to those who are lost or neglected by the rest of the world. Sometimes that means doing it personally; sometimes, it may mean sending a trusted member of the royal family.

Since Jesus is king, you are that trusted member of the royal family!

If you feel like life is sometimes a fool’s errand and you aren’t sure if you are making a difference, remember Saul. In obedience, he chased donkeys over hill and dale and across many lands before Samuel delivered God’s message. Remember that you are anointed at baptism just as Saul was anointed by Samuel. We are incorporated into Christ and marked as Christians. (We visibly remind ourselves of that every time we make the sign of the cross!) We, too, are commanders over God’s heritage. We each have a small corner of the world over which we have reign. What are the needs of those around us? How do we serve? How can we be present to the lost and neglected? It is up to us to find those who are overlooked by the rest of the world and to speak the true king’s love and truth.

So embrace your anointing and straighten your crown. You are a child of the king, and you have the anointing to prove it! The question is, how will you live it?

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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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We Are All One

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Am I my brothers Keeper?

In the Gospels, Jesus is constantly demonstrating that he is God, that he has the power to heal, that he is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises, that he has come to save us from sin and death. To do that, he performs many miracles, including healing the sick; for the Jews, physical infirmity was a punishment for sin, and it kept a person outside the worshiping assembly. In healing infirmities, Jesus shows his power, but also restores each person to their place in the community of faith.

Today’s Gospel teaches us something more: within the Body of Christ, we are interconnected, responsible for the well-being others, and spiritually able to help one another. The paralytic is utterly incapable of bringing himself before Jesus. It took four men to carry him to the house where Jesus was preaching. They are so determined that they do not turn away when they are unable to enter – their ingenuity and dedication impel them to muscle their friend to the top of the house, where they pull away part of the roof and lower their friend into the room (we all need friends like this!). This took some time, energy, and strength! And Jesus’ reaction is a lesson for us: “Jesus saw their faith,” and turned to the paralytic and said, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”

Now, it doesn’t seem that forgiveness was the main motive for working so hard to get the paralytic in proximity to Jesus. It seems more likely that the friends had faith that Jesus could CURE their friend, and we don’t even read that the paralytic asked for forgiveness. But Jesus waits for the scribes to react and object that only God can forgive sins, and then he physically heals the paralytic as a proof for them that he has the power to forgive sins AND heal the lame. Only God can do either of those things!

We are also called to act like the friends of this paralytic. We must work to help others to heal from every woundedness: spiritual, emotional, psychological, physical. We must bring others to Jesus, and not weary or be put off when this task seems difficult. We must intercede for others and sacrifice our own time and energy and strength on their behalf, because God responds to seeing OUR faith by pouring His light and grace on others. This is part of the mystery of the Body of Christ! We are all one in Christ, and must work for the good of one another.

We can ask: Who is the person in my life who needs my help and prayer? What is God asking me to do for that person? Let’s each make an effort on behalf of that person today. When we see God’s action in our lives and in the lives of others, we too will be astounded and glorify God, and say, “We have never seen anything like this!”

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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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How Quickly We Forget

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It’s pretty much a truism that many (if not most) people are quicker to ask for something than they are to be grateful for that thing once it’s given to them. This is nowhere more apparent than in our prayer lives. A good friend of mine sends me an email at the beginning of each month: “What are the prayer intentions I can help you with this month?” And it’s only relatively recently I realized my response, most of the time, was to ask her to join my prayers of petition.

I’ve been painfully—no pun intended, at least not completely—aware of that lack of balance over the past month. Less than a week before Christmas, I fell and broke my arm, a compound fracture that required several hours of surgery and involved more physical pain than I’ve ever had to endure. I spent a lot of sleepless nights, moaning about how much it hurt and asking God to alleviate the pain. “Please, please, please… just one night. Just one day. Just one hour. Please make it go away.”

Eventually I listened to myself, was suitably chastised, and changed my prayer. “Please help me endure it. Please make me stronger.” Steps in the right direction, for sure, but still a request, a plea, still that pesky “please do something for me.”

When we want something, we want it with our whole being. Sometimes we can’t see anything beyond it. This is apparent in daily life: sometimes we see individuals in single-minded pursuit of power, or wealth, or fame; sometimes we see them begging for a cure for a child’s illness, or for forgiveness from someone they’ve wronged, or for a good death. Whatever it is we want, whether the aim is selfish or altruistic, that desire for “something” is somehow stitched into human DNA; only the saints seem able to overcome it.

Once we get whatever it was we wanted so badly, though, it becomes less of an obsession. We’re on to the next big thing. We forget how much we wanted what we prayed for.

Looking through the lens of my own situation, I do compare this desire—and what happens when it is slaked—to pain. As time has passed, my pain has indeed lessened, to the point where now it’s difficult to remember just how excruciating those December nights were. How I begged God for help. And I know I haven’t thanked him enough for this gradual deliverance—certainly not nearly as often as I petitioned him to make it go away.

In today’s Gospel, Mark tells the story of a leper who asks Jesus to deliver him from his disease. I have to think that wasn’t the first time this man asked for deliverance. Perhaps, like me, he lay awake at night, aware only of his sickness and how he wanted God to make it go away. Perhaps he, too, begged, “please… please… please.”

He reaches out to Jesus and is cured. He gets what he wanted.

 The man now can resume the daily life his disease denied him. He can get back to normal. He returns to his village; he shows his priest proof of his cure; he offers initial thanks. But at some level, he has forgotten, already, how absolutely awful it was. He has forgotten what Jesus did for him—at no small personal risk, which we realize as the story unfolds. The man has forgotten the pain of being ostracized, the wounds on his body, the isolation and the fear. And now that he’s back in the social round, despite Jesus having sternly cautioned him not to, he shares his story—with the inevitable result of curtailing Jesus’ ability to move freely and carry on his ministry.

I don’t think this man had evil intentions, or that he wanted to purposely thwart Jesus in any way. I think he was thoughtless, careless, forgetful.

As am I.

Today is my birthday, and I have a great deal to celebrate, a great deal to be grateful for. I had an excellent surgeon. I now have moderately long stretches of time when I am relatively pain-free. I will eventually, like the man in Mark’s story, be able to resume my life much as it was before my fall. Through the grace of God, I will in fact get what I begged him for with such fervor.

But I don’t want to forget the pain. I don’t want to forget the fear, and the sense of helplessness, and the nights I wanted to die because it hurt so much. They’re already receding, and I don’t want them to. I want to remember them so I can offer thanks as much as I once cried out for help. I want to remember them so I can heed Jesus’ words about how to move forward with my life, and not just run off and do whatever I please because I’ve forgotten.

When my friend emails me in a couple of weeks and asks for my prayer intentions for February, this time around I will have a different response. I want her to echo my gratitude. And I will be doing my very best in the meantime… to not forget.

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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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Here I am Lord: 4 Spiritual Lessons

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A favorite memory of my younger years as a Daughter of St Paul is the diocesan catechetical conventions where we would meet hundreds and thousands of volunteers and teachers dedicated to educating the next generations in the Faith. These wonderful, gifted, and generous women and men I will never forget. My heart was always full as we’d join together at Mass at the end of the day, often singing the popular hymn by Dan Schutte, “Here I am, Lord.” Our voices would rise in a chorus of YES. Lord, we are here. We are here for you. We are here to be used by you. We are here to be used by you for others. We are ready and willing. We are HERE. 

I was always so grateful to be among such generous Catholics as we drank from the source of life in order to become life in the world.

The rousing cheer “Here I am!” is rooted, in part, in today’s first reading and responsorial psalm. Even though the story of Eli and Samuel in today’s first reading is much more complex than the hymn would lead us to believe, there are four important lessons for our own life that we can learn from Samuel’s response to the Lord, “Here I am. Speak, Lord, for your servant, is listening.” 

1. Our “Here I am” is more often a solitary commitment than a rousing hymn in community. Eli, the priest, was old. Samuel was just a boy. Eli’s two sons were sinning against the Lord and would not listen to their father. Samuel was serving Eli, the priest in the temple. After several times being woken by the boy running to him and saying, “Here I am; You called me,” the priest understood that it was God who was calling the boy. Eli sent Samuel back to sleep in the temple with the words, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” No one knows the words that Samuel heard that night. His response to the Lord was his own. His response didn’t depend on Eli or Eli’s sons or anyone else in Israel. It was his and his alone to make. And so is ours.

2. Often our “Here I am. Speak Lord. I’m listening for your voice” happens in the night. The night, as in our reading, of the infidelity of the larger community. The night of solitude. The night of our unfamiliarity with the ways of the Lord. The night when God is leading his people through us into ways that are new. The night of a yes that claims our entire life in prophetic obedience to the Lord. We cannot make the outer situation an excuse for not answering the Lord as he calls you and me. It is these personal decisions upon which the health and holiness of the community ultimately depends.

3. We can help others understand the ways of the Lord, even if we ourselves aren’t perfect. Eli understood the Lord was calling the boy, and he gave him a single piece of advice that helped Samuel make himself available to the encounter with the Lord. Eli told Samuel to say, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” With that one simple sentence, he taught the young boy this stance before the Almighty: I am listening. I am ready. I believe you speak. I believe you have a plan that is good for me, for us. I am willing to submit my life to your plan. Even as Samuel grew in wisdom and grace as a prophet, even as Eli grew older and less influential, even as Eli’s own sons were killed in punishment for their wickedness, I can imagine Eli continued to give pointers to Samuel on how to respond to God.

4. Our life has a purpose, a meaning, a vocation, that in some sense springs from our earliest communication with the Lord as a child and continues through our life. Biblically, we see this with the story of Moses, with Jeremiah, with John the Baptist. Only in hindsight can we see how God has led each of us in his ways. We each have an important part to play in the mystery of salvation, which overarches our world’s history. We will stand, and we will fall and stand again. In our struggle to listen, to learn, to follow, to give ourselves over to the Lord, we carry out our vocation. Ultimately, however, it is the fidelity of the Lord that guarantees the fulfillment of his plan.

Today you may want to take a few quiet moments to take stock of your own, “Here I am, Lord. Speak, for your servant is listening.” Maybe just for today, you will want to repeat these prayerful words over and over again as you open up your life once more to the plan of God for you: “Here I am, O Lord. Speak, for your servant is listening.”

My point is this: if your family is not the epitome of harmony, take heart. God specializes in redeeming messes. See yours as an opportunity for God’s grace to become visible to your loved ones and pray hard that God will make it happen.

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Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey.

Website: www.touchingthesunrise.com

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