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Unless You Become As Little Children…

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Today’s Gospel reading can be summed up in this warning: “Beware the paparazzi!” Of course, 99% of us aren’t that high profile that we have to worry about a crowd of photographers chasing after us to document our every move in order to sell the photos to media outlets for thousands of dollars. Instead we have interior paparazzi in our hearts. We snap virtual photos of us in the form of memories that we hold up like mirrors in order to admire ourselves.

“Just look at me!” “Wasn’t that good of me to do?” “See how I dealt with that situation?” “How holy I look when I’m praying….”

Is everyone noticing me?

The scribes and Pharisees had fallen into the danger that is ever-present for anyone who sincerely wants to be a good person. As Simon Tugwell, OP put it, “The danger with our good works, our spiritual accomplishments, and all the rest of it, is that we shall construct out of them a picture of ourselves in which, effectively, we shall situate our happiness. Complacency in ourselves will then replace delight in God.”

One can imagine individuals to whom Jesus is referring going home at night gazing at their own contentment, reliving every inch of footage from the day, admiring themselves from every angle.

“All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor…and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’”

Jesus advises the crowds to turn their attention away from themselves and from authorities on this earth who can look at us approvingly and mentor, shape, and guide our lives to God in their own images.

You have only one Father in heaven. You have but one master, the Christ.

If our eyes are on our Father, we re-assume our proper place before him as creature. “The greatest among you must be your servant.”

It is little children who do not self-consciously admire themselves as they carry on the drama of their lives. The “scribes and the Pharisees” and anyone who keeps the interior paparazzi busily snapping self-conscious images want to keep themselves in the picture. They want to get something. They want to become something for their own benefit. They want to buy their way into eternal life.

It is as children that we remain before the Father, students before the Master, humble servants before our brothers and sisters.

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Sr. Kathryn J. HermesKathryn 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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Breathing the Breath of God

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I had quite the feisty temper when I was little and my mother would always tell me to take a deep breath before responding if my reaction could be hurtful or damaging. The power of that one breath was remarkable. There is so much strength in something as simple as taking a deep breath.

The Hebrew word for “breath” in the Old Testament was “Ruah”, also meaning “wind”, or “spirit”. However, “Ruah” was specifically understood to signify the “breath of God” that animates all of God’s living; a distinct presence of God that enables life to be.

 “…concerning ruah, we can say that the breath of God appears in them as the power that gives life to creatures. It appears as a profound reality of God which works deep within man. It appears as a manifestation of God’s dynamism which is communicated to creatures.”

-St. Pope John Paul II

Humanity’s first recorded encounter with God’s “Ruah” is found during Creation: “then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). There are two other significant mentions of “Ruah” in Scripture. One is in today’s first reading, “Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to life” (Ez. 37:5). The last is John 20, “And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the holy Spirit’” (Jn. 20:22).

The image that we have in the First Reading of dry bones being brought back to life is so powerful for us today. I look around at our society and communities and all I can see are dry bones, as far as the eye can see. We live in a time where human life is trampled upon, human dignity is not valued, and the transcendent and eternal realities of our faith have no bearing on the way people lead their lives. We were not created to simply go through the motions of our daily lives. We were created to have life, and life in abundance!! We are dry bones, parched for hope and for human connection, and we are in desperate need of a revival – a “ruah.”

But as I read the passage from Ezekiel again, I realize that the Lord is not the one reviving the bones, at least not directly. He is telling Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones, to say His words and give life to that which is dead.

That is the same call for us, brothers and sisters. The world around us is desperately crying out for hope, and it is up to us to breathe that Gospel message into those we encounter. Grace builds on human nature; God works in cooperation with our willingness to be His vessels. Just as Adam’s life came from the breath of God, and the dry bones were revived through Ezekiel, so also did the disciples’ new spiritual life come from Jesus through the Breath of the Holy Spirit. Through our Baptism, we were imparted with that same Spirit; that same life of Christ in our souls that enables us to live out our vocations of priest, prophet, and king. So with every breath within us, let us speak life.

“I will put my spirit in you that you may come to life, and I will settle you in your land. Then you shall know that I am the LORD. I have spoken; I will do it” (Ez. 37:14).

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Sarah Rose hails from Long Island and graduated from Franciscan University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Theology & Catechetics. She is happily married to her college sweetheart John Paul. They welcomed their first child, Judah Zion, in 2019. She is passionate about her big V-vocation: motherhood, and her little v-vocation: bringing people to encounter Christ through the true, the good, and the beautiful. She loves fictional novels, true crime podcasts/documentaries, the saints (especially Blessed Chiara Luce Badano), & sharing conversation over a good cup of coffee. She is currently the Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry at St. Cecilia Church in Oakley, Cincinnati. You can find out more about her ministry here: https://eastsidefaith.org/young-adult OR at https://www.facebook.com/stceciliayam.

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It’s a Relationship, Not a To-Do List

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There are so many beautiful components to our faith. We have Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, the teachings of which Christ has given us to continue living the faith while we wait for His second coming. What a glorious day it will be to reunite with Him fully, to walk side by side with Him for eternity.

With all of the holy components of our faith that we have been given, including devotions that have been passed on to new generations over the years, I can honestly say that I can get overwhelmed knowing how God is calling me to spend time with Him. Of course the Holy Mass and Sacred Scripture are two key areas of our faith given by God that will help us to know Him more intimately, but the other devotions are optional (which can make finding a daily prayer routine tough to establish). Should I pray the rosary daily, the divine mercy chaplet, or the liturgy of the hours? Should I be doing all three of those things daily to grow in my relationship with Christ? How many chapters of Scripture should I be reading? Should I be engaging in more spontaneous prayer?

While all of these devotions are beautiful God calls each of us differently to Himself. By saying this I mean there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. He has created each of us unique in His image and likeness. He has known us before we were born and He knows our life story already. He knows us so intimately and loves us exactly for who we are, so we don’t need to compare ourselves to others or put ourselves down if we pray differently than someone else. For some individuals they can only pray one decade of the rosary with intentionality while others could pray five rosaries with the same level of intentionality throughout the extended time. Some people take 15 minutes to pray a rosary while others take almost an hour or more. Does this make one of these individuals more worthy in God’s eyes? Of course not – both individuals are equally and perfectly loved by God. He is pleased to spend intimate time with each of them, building relationships with them all. God has already won the battle, and there is nothing that we can do to make Him love us any differently – His love is perfect and complete for each of us.

When you feel overwhelmed by the devotions that our beautiful faith has to offer, or even find yourself comparing your prayer life to that of others, it is time to take a step back and sit in His presence. Be humble and ask Him to see your littleness, remembering that He loves you perfectly and only desires to be with you for you. Ask Him to show you how He is calling you to draw close to Him, whether it be more scripture, a rosary, or even spontaneous prayer.

We are not measured by the perfection of our prayer. God only desires to be with us, desires for us to love others as He has loved us, and ultimately desires for us to continue opening the door of our hearts to Him.  Our faith is not about checking off boxes of devotions we have to feel holy, but it is rather about choosing holiness when the going gets tough by leaning into our relationship with Christ with genuine intention.

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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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Where Are You At in Your Journey?

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The readings today are rich with imagery: sheep, shepherds, landowners, laborers, the earth, pastures, valleys, and vineyards, marketplaces and wages. Sit with those images for a few moments. Read them again. What comes to mind?

The accompanying words of scripture ask us to be aware of our thoughts and actions. The gospel acclamation from Hebrews states, “The word of God is living and effective, able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (4:12)

My mind keeps flipping back and forth between the shepherds who were taking advantage of their sheep, the landowner and the laborers. The Lord God says he will look after and tend His sheep. He will come against the shepherds who did not protect their flock but looked after themselves alone. I hear words labeling the shepherds; exploitation, greed, injustice, and neglect. I picture images illustrating these words during my own life and throughout history. Am I listening to and following the Good Shepherd’s voice?

I read the Gospel again. Jesus tells his disciples that all who work in his vineyard, no matter when they begin the task, will be given their reward, “the last shall be first and the first shall be last.”

A memory comes to mind of a youth lamenting the conclusion of a game where she got to heaven, but those there before her had taken down the celestial celebration because of all the work to clean up.

Next an image surfaces of Jesus on the cross telling one of the criminals that they will be together in paradise. This criminal stands up for the truth by telling his companion, ‘this man did nothing wrong.’ Jesus’ reward to him in their dying moments is the promise of joining Him in paradise that day.

Where is your focus drawn? How does this illustrate where your journey with Jesus our Lord God finds you today? Take the time to note where you are led throughout your day. Listen for His voice, for the things and people which lead you to Him or away from Him. Learn to discern what the right Way is for you in your daily life. Be vigilant and keep your focus on His love for you and all of His creation.

Please pray with me: Jesus, I trust in you. I know you are with me. Help me to keep my steps and my thoughts going your Way, wherever that may lead. May your grace and mercy continue to bless my journey, especially since I don’t know where it may take me. Help me focus on your shepherd’s voice of comfort and love. Amen.

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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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ALL THINGS are Possible…For GOD

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Our family was recently blessed to take a 5-day vacation in northern Michigan. Although our excursion didn’t take us to the Upper Peninsula, we were far enough north to feel the cool morning air, listen to the breeze rustle through the tall trees and enjoy the clear Pure Michigan lakes. The weather was as close to perfect as it gets, sunny skies and mid to upper 70’s the whole time. We were able to get away from it all. No home projects, no family problems, no moving planning… Our only goals were to hit the beach and go out for ice cream every day. Thankfully, we had no problem meeting them.

My kids got to deepen their suntan at the parks, in the water and at the B&B. Of course no one wanted to come back, and almost every year we talk about getting a place up there, even if it’s only dreaming.

We got home refreshed and exhausted but had no choice but to hit the ground running since laundry and grocery shopping awaited us.  Sometimes it’s hard not to go into a slight depression after being on vacation and having such a great time. Sometimes it’s hard to stay positive.

Looking at today’s readings, I’ll admit I had trouble finding anything positive. “Because you are haughty of heart…” “You are a man and not a god…” “They shall thrust you down to the pit, there to die a bloodied corpse…”. Wait, is this some sort of pirate novel or the Bible?!

Alas, sometimes we need confronting.  Sometimes we need someone to wake us up from our bullheadedness, our daily seeking of our own way, our constant need to be in control. We need someone to shake us up a bit and say “Hey! You know that habit that you’ve gotten into that you think is just a normal part of life? That’s NOT okay. That needs to change.”

In the Gospel Jesus continues to confront his disciples, explaining how difficult it is to enter the Kingdom of heaven. “Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” Is everything doom and gloom today? Where is our hope?

I take a deep breath, continue reading and there it is: “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Ahhh yes, when I rely on my own devices, my own stubbornness, my own pride, then things can so easily go awry, but God is in charge here and with Him all things are possible.

ALL THINGS. That is a bold statement, yet one that gives us so much comfort, so much stability, so much peace when our world feels topsy turvy. Only God can claim that ALL THINGS are possible, because only He is in control.

Lord, take my impossible things today and make them possible. May your will be done in my life. Even though I can’t enjoy the freedom of a vacation every day, I know that I will enjoy it one day in heaven if I walk by Your side. May I never part from You, who make all things possible. Amen.

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Tami Urcia 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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Where Is Your Treasure Stored?

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In today’s gospel, we see a man asking Jesus what he needs to do to gain eternal life. Surprisingly, we don’t hear the ‘Grace Alone’ response of “Nothing at all! I’ll do it all for you, for my grace is sufficient”, but a rather simple response: “Keep the commandments”. “Which ones?” the man asks, in what seems like a silly, dodging kind of question, since we would presume all of them! Jesus specifies many of the original ten commandments, which if the man keeps, he will “enter into LIFE”. Again the man interjects “But I’ve done all that! What else?”. You or I might be happy at this point, knowing that we’ve done all that we have to do for eternal life itself! But the man isn’t satisfied, continuing his quite strange responses to Jesus. “Well if you want to be PERFECT, give away everything you have to the poor, and follow me”. At this, the man left, and was too sad about the prospect of losing all of his possessions.

So what happened here? Was this man’s heart in the right place? Do all of us need to surrender literally everything we have? And what can you and I learn from this encounter? Here are three points that I gleaned from today’s reading.

  1. Jesus’ first response to the man was “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good”. I think this is an important primer for what we believe about eternal life and grace: God is Good, Goodness itself. Man, on his own and apart from God, is not good BECAUSE of our fallen state (although we were originally created good). So when this man asked what “good” he could do, Jesus made sure to clarify “anything good in you, and any good that you can do, comes from God alone”.
  2. After Jesus clarifies the role of grace, he clarifies what we need to do: Following the Commandments leads to eternal life. This is not us “earning salvation with our own works”. A relationship with God is truly what saves us: but am I really your friend (or in a good relationship at all) if I constantly disrespect you, ignore you, etc? Following the commandments is what assures us that we are right with God. Aside from that, God truly is Ruler over all, and He wants us to follow his commandments, which he made ultimately for our benefit! And when we fall short, we always have a space to lean into His mercy, which He truly desires to give us.
  3. The third point is this: Sacrifice leads to perfection. Beyond living rightly and running the race, we can only give up everything we have and serve radically. I immediately think of the religious orders in our Church, which Lumen Gentium from the Second Vatican Council calls the “perfect” state of life. We aren’t all called to this kind of perfection, as many of us are laity in the Church. But we all still can receive eternal life, and are called to live a life of following the Lord. The benefits of this kind of perfection are, as Jesus says in the reading, building up “treasure in heaven”.

Ultimately this reading also shows us that true wealth comes not in treasure stored on the earth, but in sharing what we have with others. A friend of mine who leads a ministry often says “Brendan, I’m a rich man” because of the incredible community that we have (due in part to his own giving of himself). We can sometimes say we want to follow Jesus, but bring all these things in tow with us. And when he asks us to surrender them, we walk away sad, focusing our eyes on our possessions and not on Him. It’s important to remember that surrender does not mean death or loss of everything. It means we very well may get all those things back (now that Jesus is Lord over them), and potentially more! And it means we very likely will get a greater reward in heaven.

Songs for reflection:

I Surrender by Hillsong Worship

Here’s my Heart by Chris Tomlin

I Shall Not Want by Audrey Assad

Lay it Down by Matt Maher

Goodness of God by Bethel

Yes I Will by Vertical Worship

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Brendan is just your average Millennial hipster: He likes playing guitar, throwing frisbees, sipping whiskey, and grooming his beard. But he also has a passion for walking with teens and young Christ-followers, hearing every person’s story, and waking up the Church. Brendan works at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Lenexa, Kansas (near Kansas City) as a Youth Music Minister, fusing together his two loves of sharing Christ and sharing the power and need for good and beautiful contemporary praise. https://www.instagram.com/brendanbeardo/

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Are You In… Or Out?

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Were you one of the cool kids at school?

I wasn’t, not until the very end of my high school career when I earned some respect by being dramatically anti-cool (which comes to me quite naturally!) and having people say things like, “you’re always reading something interesting.” But before that? At my small Catholic boarding school there was definitely a group of Mean Girls, and they had me in their sights.

I didn’t care about the Mean Girls. I overheard some of their conversations and they were completely vapid. But what I did care about was the sense of exclusion. Of being told I wasn’t good enough. Of there being this fabulous secret I wasn’t allowed to participate in.

I’ve grown up since then, but I’m not convinced the world has. We still set a lot of store (and waste a lot of energy) figuring out who’s in and who’s out. Who has the right to the secret, and who doesn’t. Who gets to be “in” and who sits alone and unwanted.

At one point, this custom of including some people in our “tribe” (as one word sociologists use to describe the some-are-in-and-some-are-out delineations) served humanity well. Resources were extremely limited and preference was given to humans who met certain criteria: the strongest, the smartest, the most likely to bear children… the ones the tribe needed most. Once that early circle could be enlarged, it was enlarged only by admitting those with whom members of the original group felt some affinity. Initially this meant only family members. Eventually, as human settlements grew, it came to include those who felt the most familiar to the tribal group: who looked, talked, acted like them.

This tribalism served a purpose in Israel’s history. When you are a nation in diaspora, you must have ways of identifying each other, of ensuring the survival of your race or religion—in other words, of your community. There are strict laws that must be followed in every area of life: what can be eaten, how animals are to be slaughtered, what women can wear, who one can do business with. Losing those laws would mean losing your identity.

And then along came Jesus and messed it all up.

Today’s readings practically sing off the page, don’t they? They speak of hope, of a new way of being in the world, of something bright and sparking and fresh. Isaiah foretells this new world even as he foretold so much more about Christ’s coming: “The foreigners who join themselves to the Lord (…), them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer.” Wait—foreigners? Saint Paul, for his part,  is very specific about wanting to open up the Church to “make my race jealous and thus save some of them.” Wait—allow everyone in?

And Saint Matthew tells us where this is all leading. Because Jesus is not only the Son of God, he is also a product of his culture—of his tribal identity. And in this scene he initially tries to stick to the rules and boundaries of that identity. “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel,” he tells the Canaanite who seeks his help.

She is having none of it. She knows he is bigger than that. She argues. He demurs. She insists. And Jesus sees where this is going. “O woman,” he says, almost in wonder, “great is your faith!”

Every word of these readings sings out one beautiful grace: inclusion. The old ways of tribalism worked for a while, but that time is over. We are entering a new time, the time of the Kingdom, the time of Christ, when all things—including relationships—are made new. When followers of Jesus can be anyone, from any tribe, from any race, speaking any language. There is but one requirement: to have faith.

I don’t think we today can understand just how earth-shattering that was, a sea-change in the way humanity understood its relationship with God and with each other. For centuries the old tribalism, the clear ways of excluding “others” and welcoming only “one’s own,” were part of life—but now humanity was being called to a new life, one where there is neither male nor female, Jew nor Greek, but where all were part of one new vibrant caring community: the community of faith.

This is the antithesis of the Mean Girls. It is the antithesis of anyone who excludes others based on a false sense of belonging, whether that’s to a tribe, a nation, a political party, a gender, a race. What history has taught us, over and over again, is that tribalism doesn’t work for the world, not in the long run, yet even today we cling to it because at some level keeping “us” safe seems to mean keeping “them” out.

Today’s reading assure us of one thing: we can do better. We are very specifically called to do better. We are called to spread the Good News to everyone, no matter whether they look like us, or speak like us, or think like us.

If the whole world is good enough for Jesus to love, then why isn’t it good enough for us?

We live in a time of uncertainty. Our economic future is bleak; thousands of people are dying every day of a virus we’re only beginning to understand; homelessness, unemployment, a lack of adequate health care all plague us. It is in many ways a time of crisis. It’s easy to stay there, in that state of fear, and to look for people to blame for it.

Or we can choose the Gospel. Choose freedom over fear. Choose Christ over greed. That’s the only requirement: making that choice, living out that choice.

It’s one the Mean Girls never made. But we can do it… can’t we?

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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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It Is Fitting

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“It was fitting that she, who had kept her virginity intact in childbirth, should keep her own body free from all corruption even after death. It was fitting that she, who had carried the Creator as a child at her breast, should dwell in the divine tabernacles. It was fitting that the spouse, whom the Father had taken to himself, should live in the divine mansions. It was fitting that she, who had seen her Son upon the cross and who had thereby received into her heart the sword of sorrow which she had escaped in the act of giving birth to him, should look upon him as he sits with the Father. It was fitting that God’s Mother should possess what belongs to her Son, and that she should be honored by every creature as the Mother and as the handmaid of God”  

-St. John Damascene- 

The quote above is long but I feel like this fully encompasses the beauty of the feast we celebrate today.

In today’s Gospel we hear Mary’s Magnificat: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.” In carrying our Lord she is remarkably humble. She does not boast of her own merit but rather acknowledges herself as “his lowly servant” and praises God for giving her the grace to bear His Son. She knows oneness with Christ in a way we never will. She carried Him in her womb, taught him, and walked with Him during His Passion. It is for that reason that she did not suffer the pains of death and was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven. Since she was the first to be united with Christ in the flesh by His Incarnation, it is only fitting that should also be the first to be fully united with Christ, body and soul, in the Resurrection.

In the Apostolic Constitution Munificentissiumus Deus, in which Pope Pius XII defines the dogma of the Assumption, he says that he is “…confident that this solemn proclamation and definition of the Assumption will contribute in no small way to the advantage of human society…It is to be hoped that all the faithful will be stirred up to a stronger piety toward their Heavenly Mother…” In times of great suffering may we renew our devotion to our Heavenly Mother, for not only does her Assumption teach us about the Resurrection, but she also teaches us how to live our lives in unity with Christ while we are still on Earth.

Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO and teaches English Language Development and Spanish to high schoolers. She is married to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time, she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others. Check out more of her writing at https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com.

 

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What God Has Joined, Man Must Not Separate

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“Because of the hardness of your hearts…” In today’s Gospel reading, we hear Jesus say this as a response to the Pharisees who tested him, questioning if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife and asking why Moses allowed it.  Jesus gives us a clear teaching on the covenant of marriage.  He points us back to Genesis in God’s creation of Adam and Eve and quotes the intimacy of the one-flesh union (Gen 2:24) He goes on to tell us, “What God has joined together, man must not separate.” In this passage, we find the beauty and sacredness of the sacrament of matrimony. Jesus reinforces that this is a covenant that is not meant to be broken. At the end of the Gospel, Jesus goes on to talk about those who cannot accept this word and those who were not meant to be married. “Some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.” This points to those who have been called to the vocations of Religious Life and Priesthood. They have said no to marriage and have said yes to living out the Kingdom of Heaven here on earth. They too make a covenant with their vows, which should not be broken.

Today is the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe, an extraordinary saint who lived out his vocation courageously. He was a Polish Franciscan friar, who had a strong devotion to Our Lady and is the founder of the Militia of the Immaculata.  He was arrested for hiding Jews in his monastery during the time of the World War II invasion of Germany. He ended up at Auschwitz and volunteered to take the place of a man who was going to experience death by starvation. St. Maximilian Kolbe is a martyr who lived out his vows for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, the reality that all priests and nuns do! They have said yes to a union with God here on earth. May we be as courageous as St. Maximilian Kolbe in whatever our vocation is, and be willing to sacrifice out of love for God and others.

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Briana is the Pastoral Minister at St. Mark Church 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 serve the Church.

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Divine Forgiveness

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Imagine the tangible power of forgiveness? Have you ever experienced it? In the fallen and broken world we live in, forgiveness is what can make us whole again, it is what can fill in the cracks of our fallen humanity with the divine love of God.

I can remember a specific confession of mine as a kid where I literally thought the priest was going to punch me through the confessional screen after finding out what I had done. Instead, he calmly said to me, “Son, I am a Monsignor in my parish. I have been around a lot longer than you have and I have been sinning longer than you have and at times I can be good at it. You have to give yourself a break. We all fall short, and Jesus brings us home.”

This really struck me. No matter what we do, God still loves us and desperately wants to forgive us. We only need to ask. Now I think we all know this in our minds, but take a second and ask yourself if you’ve let it penetrate your heart. That no matter how shamefully we fall, we can have hope in the mercy of God and what he did for us on the cross.

Now let’s flip it around and receive our lesson for the day from the Gospel. As much as we need forgiveness from God, we also need to give forgiveness to others. The Gospel reading can seem harsh, but it’s true. If we are constantly asking for mercy and not giving any in return than we are no better than the Pharisees.

So the question for you and me today is this, who do you need to forgive? We all have someone who has hurt us in one way or another. God has already forgiven them, have we? This can be a tall order, depending on what they have done to hurt us, but this is where we ask for the grace of God to come into our hearts and allow us to forgive with divine forgiveness. The same forgiveness he has open to us every single day. From all of us here at Rodzinka Ministry, God Bless!

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Tommy Shultz is Director of Evangelization for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative and the founder of Rodzinka Ministries. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. 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. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith.

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We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know, So We Need Each Other

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Sometimes, we don’t know what we don’t know. Sometimes, we don’t know that the way we are reaching for our goals is hurtful to others or ourselves, or even that our goals are short-sighted or wrong-headed. Sometimes, we are making objectively bad choices but we don’t know. Someone must tell us.

Jesus instructs his disciples to reach out always in love, go after the “lost sheep,” and work in ways that protect the dignity of the person AND the integrity of the Community. He tells them (and us) to gently and privately point out the fault of another. Why? Because we ARE our brother’s keeper, and we have a responsibility to help them see the fullness of Truth so that they can reach the Heart of the Father. We can and must do this, not because we are better than they are or because we have the right to judge the state of their hearts or souls, but because they are part of the same Body of Christ, and their good is the good of all. Good individuals build good communion.

What if they reject what we say? Jesus tells us not to give up on them, but to invite one or two others to speak to him with you, so that he might be persuaded by the witness of others. Why? If you’ve ever been involved in an “intervention” with someone who is suffering addiction, you know how powerful it is to have several people pleading lovingly and holding up the truth to one who is unable or unwilling to see it. This is also the case when the situation involves spiritual danger rather than physical danger. When confronted with several testimonies, rather than one, it is harder to avoid seeing the full picture.

What if they still refuse to hear us? Jesus says to “tell the Church.” Why? After being called out in love to see the wrong in our choices, it is sometimes necessary to bring it before an authoritative voice, one who has the “grace of office” to speak in the name of the community of Christ’s Body on the issue. Incidentally, this passage also indicates clearly that Jesus came to establish a Church with a visible structure and men whose word has authority: “Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven”! This is to protect the integrity of the community.

What if they reject the word of the Church? Jesus says that it is then necessary to separate ourselves from them (at least until they are ready to listen and live according to God’s Word). Why? Because we absorb the attitudes and actions of others, and the constant presence of opposition drains our psychological and spiritual energies for good. Today, we would say we need to “establish boundaries”. That does not mean we cast them out, stop loving them, or give up on them. We cannot sacrifice the integrity of the community to them, but we can continue to pray.

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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 One vs. the 99

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Today’s Gospel is one of the most well-known Gospel stories we have. We are told that, in order to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven we must become like a child.

Children are not jaded, cynical, or critical of themselves or others. They do not hold grudges. They reserve judgment because their only experience of the world is their own. Children wave and smile at complete strangers because to them, everyone is a friend. Children trust and do not worry.

Is it any wonder that Christ wants us to be like children? They have utter purity of heart. “Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God.”

I desire deeply to see God in everything, but the cloud of “adulthood” makes that difficult. I am slow to trust others. I have unintended prejudices towards other cultures, races, disabilities. I worry almost all the time. With adulthood comes more freedom; but that freedom is a double-edged sword that brings along with it negativity, stress, and apathy. It causes me to be critical in my thoughts and actions toward others without first approaching their shortcomings with compassion.

We slowly let go of the purity of our hearts along the road to adulthood, causing us to lose our ability to see God in all things.

For all intents and purposes, I am one of the ninety-nine—a safe, comfortable sheep following the Shepherd, nourished within the sheepfold of the Church. I have not gone “astray” from the Church, but I catch myself judging the one that has. Like the brother of the Prodigal Son, I wonder why I am not the one being commended for staying faithful. Yet where does this false piety and need for justification leave me? It causes me to forget the times when I have been the 1 who needed rescuing. It depletes my ability to feel empathy towards the painful experiences of my fellow brothers and sisters. It creates an even deeper divide between them and me that was never supposed to be there in the first place.

You see, the shepherd who goes after the 1 does not abandon the 99. He is not saying that they don’t matter, that they aren’t as important to him, that their lives don’t bring value. He is intimately in-tune with the immediate needs of his flock. Right now, the 99 are okay. They don’t need him as urgently.

It is the same in our world today. As Christians, we too are called to go out and seek the lost. With our baptism comes the commission to comfort the afflicted and respond in humility and kindness to the needs of others. The word compassion comes from the combination of two Latin words. Com = with. Passion = suffer. Com-passion. To suffer together with.

Right now, our discriminated brothers and sisters need us to fight for their rights in human solidarity. Our immunocompromised and elderly brothers and sisters need us to protect them by wearing a mask and staying home when asked to. Our poor children caught in sex-trafficking need us to recognize their cries for help and do something. This Christian call to arms is by no means comfortable or easy, but it is absolutely necessary and utterly vital to our Christian mission.

As I contemplate the Good Shepherd’s heart, I am filled with awe, gratitude, and relief that He would do the same for me as He does for that one missing sheep. He will never forget me or give up on me. When I find myself lost, He never stops ardently pursuing me, and rejoices to welcome me home. Until then, I’ll do my part to keep the 100 sheep united.

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Sarah Rose hails from Long Island and graduated from Franciscan University in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Theology & Catechetics. She is happily married to her college sweetheart John Paul. They welcomed their first child, Judah Zion, in 2019. She is passionate about her big V-vocation: motherhood, and her little v-vocation: bringing people to encounter Christ through the true, the good, and the beautiful. She loves fictional novels, true crime podcasts/documentaries, the saints (especially Blessed Chiara Luce Badano), & sharing conversation over a good cup of coffee. She is currently the Coordinator of Young Adult Ministry at St. Cecilia Church in Oakley, Cincinnati. You can find out more about her ministry here: https://eastsidefaith.org/young-adult OR at https://www.facebook.com/stceciliayam.