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Longing for Spiritual Food

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God communicates in different ways to different times, but the core message remains; a message of love. In the Old Testament God the Father spoke to the Prophets, in the New Testament the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and after the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles at Pentecost the Holy Spirit has been guiding us and the Church ever since.

Though we can see these real examples of each person of the Trinity working in specific times of history, every person of the trinity is present with us all throughout our lives. One of my favorite parts of the Catechism is where it says, “God is an eternal exchange of love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and he has destined us to share in that exchange.”

Our destiny is to share intimately in the relationship of God, but that destiny starts today. We can start to enter into that relationship here and now. The Father loves us and we can experience him through our prayer. The Son loves us through the Holy Eucharist. The Holy Spirit loves us through the Sacraments and our openness. We do not have to wait until the end of our lives for our destiny to start to become realized.

I like to think of this in relation to food. I love cooking and I love eating so most of my analogies are food based. Haha. Think of eating your favorite food. You have the taste and goodness of it instantly, but you don’t experience the fullness of it until it has been digested and used for energy. In the same way, we can taste the love of God in a very real way here on this earth, and we long for the fullness of that love to be realized at the end of time.

One time when I was on a work trip we stopped for dinner and I had these bacon wrapped dates that changed my life forever. Ever since tasting those delicious little pieces of perfection I have longed for the day when I can get back to that restaurant and try them again. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we treated our relationship with the Trinity in the same way? That we tasted God every week in the Mass and then longed for him until we could receive again. With this mindset, Mass stops being a chore and starts becoming something we look forward to every week, the same way I look forward to getting back to that restaurant. But the food God gives will give us eternal life. I know I can be more aware of this in every moment of my life.

One of the most helpful things I have heard about the spiritual life came from The Wild Goose Series. Fr. Dave Pivonka encourages us to simply say, “Come Holy Spirit,” throughout the day. This helps us not only to experience the love of God but also to help us be aware that we should long for the day when we are united perfectly with God in heaven. He longs to be united fully to us. Let us hunger for the same. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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Everything is Different Now

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Life-altering events change our perspective on everything around us, don’t they? I remember so clearly how I felt the day my mother died. I walked down the street and looked around me and felt astonished, truly astonished, that so many people were out and about and acting as if nothing had happened, nothing had changed, everything was the same as before.

For them, of course, it was. I was the one who’d felt the earth move. I was the one who could now divide my life into two halves, my life when she was still here, and my life after she’d gone. I was on the second half of that journey, the one I had to undertake alone. I knew then—and I was right—that nothing would be the same. Everything would be different forever.

I’d passed from what-was to what-is. I couldn’t yet imagine what-will-be.

Today’s first reading is about change, too, the change of transition from one way of living to another. The old order, St. Paul tells us, must give way to the new. “Everything old has passed away, everything has become new.” Before, as a community, we lived in the what-was, the first half of our journey; after Christ, we’re living in the what-is and we look forward to a future what-will-be.

In other words, everything is different now.

If grasping that change wasn’t enough—and heaven knows it should be, drawing a clear line between the past and the future is difficult all by itself!—St. Paul has more to say about it. It’s all fine and good that we acknowledge the change; now we have to live it. To enter into it. To change our lives to reflect this momentous, earth-moving event.

In other words, once we know, nothing can be the same. Everything is different.

One of my favorite writers and theologians, C.S. Lewis, explains the transition better than anyone. “It is as if there is a door behind which, according to Christians, the secret of the universe is waiting for you,” he writes. “If their claim is not true, it is the greatest fraud in history. It is obviously the job of every man to find out if the claim is true; then to devote his life to exposing this gigantic humbug… or serving this tremendous secret.”

God opened that door to us, and now everything is different. We need to serve that difference.

The letter defines what’s at the core of that difference: we are reconciled through Christ; a fundamental relationship has been changed fundamentally. One recent translation of this passage talks about a “fresh start” and “settling relationships.” Can you feel how the words themselves are filled with excitement? Accepting that everything is different isn’t about mourning what was past, but setting out on an adventure into the future, and St. Paul is clear: we’re to include everyone in that adventure. God reached out to us through Christ, and now it’s up to us to pass Lewis’ “tremendous secret” on to others.

It’s moving forward into the what-will-be with confidence, not knowing what awaits us there, but trusting that whatever it is, we won’t be alone in facing it. God will be with us, and our community of faith will be with us. Because we’ve been reconciled to him, and through him to each other, we’re never again alone. Everything is different now.

Oddly enough (or perhaps not so oddly), this is the anniversary of that life-changing event: my mother has been with God in heaven for exactly thirty years today. And as I look back on that transition, I realize that all change, whether it’s losing something or gaining something, is a reflection of the transitions we live in our lives in Christ: the what-was we once had becoming the what-is we are living now as we wait with joyful anticipation for the what-will-be.

Or, as St. Paul assures us today: everything is different now.

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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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An Antithesis of Ideas

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An antithesis is a figure of speech in which an opposition or contrast of ideas is expressed by a connection of meaning through a connection of form. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stands everything we think we know on its head. He redefines happiness (Beatitudes) not for what the world thinks is happiness, but in a manner consistent with how God created us to be happy.

Following the Beatitudes, Jesus presents 6 antitheses. He uses the form, “You have heard that it was said…” “But I say to you…” to connect the teachings and to take us beyond the written word of the law to spirit or purpose for which the law was written. He even goes so far as to present the literal interpretation of the law as opposed to the purpose of the law.

The first reading also uses a connection of form to set up concepts which the world sees as opposites. The world sees affliction as a constraint against happiness. St. Paul says, we are afflicted, but we are not constrained. The world sees being perplexed as a road to despair, St. Paul says we are perplexed, but we do not despair. The world sees being persecuted as an abandonment, St. Paul says we are persecuted, but we are never abandoned. The world sees being struck down as being destroyed. St. Paul says we are struck down, but we are not destroyed. Why? We carry within us the death of Jesus so that His life may be manifested, incarnated, may live in the world through us!

We are people who don’t shy away from the crucifix. We look upon the death of Jesus and see his arms outstretched for us. We see that suffering and pain and being perplexed and struck down are not the path to despair and destruction. We look at Jesus on the crucifix and we see the power of his Sacred Heart. When we look at the crucifix, we see the incarnation, the love of God made flesh. We see Jesus’ merciful heart, wrapped in bands of thorns, on fire with the Holy Spirit.

As we pause today, part way between Pentecost and the Feast of the Sacred Heart we read about the relationship between the law and our life. Jesus shows us that it isn’t about just following the law, it is about living the spirit of the law. “And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” Jesus isn’t advocating self-mutilation, Jesus is telling us that nothing, nothing is as important as love. Nothing is as important as living the rest of eternity in the presence of love itself. As we look back on Pentecost and forward to the Feast of the Sacred Heart, let us love. For in love is happiness, not happiness as the world defines, but God’s true happiness found in a heart wrapped in thorns and on fire with the Holy Spirit.

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If you catch Sheryl sitting still, you are most likely to find her nose stuck in a book. It may be studying with her husband, Tom as he goes through Diaconate Formation, trying to stay one step ahead of her 5th and 6th-grade students at St Rose of Lima Catholic School or preparing for the teens she serves as Director of Youth Evangelization and Outreach in her parish collaborative. You can reach her through https://www.ignitedinchristnacc.com/.

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Faith and Charity

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Today is the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church. While we know him as St. Anthony of Padua, he is from Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon, understandably, takes great pride in being the birthplace of St. Anthony and today is their national holiday. For the days leading up to his feast day, there are festivals in the streets, parades that lead to and from different churches around the city, and posters explaining when and where prayer vigils will be held throughout the week. It truly is beautiful to witness the faith so obviously present.

The first reading reminds us that we are to bring the light of Christ to the world in the same way that He Himself has set our hearts on fire for Him: “For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.” We as Christians know the Good News, we know that Christ is our Redeemer and it is our job to preach that to the world. It is through our words and through our deeds that those whose eyes are still veiled to the Gospel, to the Word of God will come to know and believe.

On sharing the faith St. Anthony said, “Without faith no one can enter the kingdom of God, it is the life of the soul. The Christian is one who, with the eye of the heart, enlightened by faith, understands the mysteries of God and makes a public profession.”

This public profession of faith of which St. Anthony speaks can be the way we live our lives. He goes on to talk about the importance of charity in faith. It is a great act of charity to bring others to faith. In the Gospel, Christ teaches his disciples how to enact greater charity in their everyday lives. To be charitable and kind in their words and thoughts, to be charitable and forgiving to those who have done wrong against them, to be charitable and honest in dealings with others.

May we go about our day with charitable words, thoughts, and actions so that we might enter the Kingdom of Heaven and bring others with us.

St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us!

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Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO is studying for her Master’s in Spanish, and loves her job as an elementary school librarian. 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 Makes for Greatness? Who is the Greatest?

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These are questions people ask all the time because there is in each of us the desire to matter. We want to know that what we do and who we are is important and meaningful. Our deepest sorrows come from a sense of meaninglessness. We feel alone and despondent when we feel that we do not matter to anyone.

The truth is that we are made for communion, we are made for love, we are made for greatness. But because we forget that we come from God, we are returning to God, and God is rescuing us every step of the way, we often seek purpose and meaningfulness in the wrong places. Rather than seeking our true identity and purpose in God’s Kingdom, we seek to make ourselves great in the eyes of this world, among our acquaintances, on social media; sometimes, we make ourselves seem greater by making sure others seem smaller. And then we find ourselves feeling unfulfilled and un-great.

So who is truly great? In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us who will be called the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven: “whoever obeys and teaches (the) commandments.” Wait. What?

In a world that sorely undervalues obedience because it overvalues independence and personal expression, these words of Jesus are easily passed over. Obedience seems to be in opposition to the freedom and individualism we value so highly. Obedience seems to be a virtue only in children. We want children to do what they are told. We can decide for ourselves.

We need to differentiate between blind, uninformed obedience (in which a person is expected to respond in robotic fashion to every order without thinking) and mature, intentional obedience (in which we consent with our free will to follow the authority of another). The first is the obedience that puppies learn in “obedience school.” The second is the full flowering of virtue in the soul that has learned TRUST.

Like a child who trusts completely in her parents, the person who has learned to submit all in loving trust to the Father, accepting His commands as the guardrails His loving will has placed in our lives, obeys the commandments and encourages others to live within their horizons. This is not a superficial conforming of our outward actions to “fit the mold.” On the contrary, this kind of obedience goes right to the heart, to the subtle movements of our desires and motivations, as Jesus will go on to tell his disciples in the next verses of Matthew’s Gospel.

This can be a point of examination for our conscience: Do I trust the Father enough to accept His commandments fully and obey them completely? Where am I “holding back” on submitting to Him wholly? When I pause to pray, is there any part of me that I am not yet holding up to His light?

Our greatness comes from glorifying God with our lives, by living according to the Truth: that we are God’s children, and we love Him in our obedience to His Will.

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Deacon 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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A Thousand Points of Light

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Does anyone remember this quote from President George H.W. Bush:

“For we are a nation of communities, of thousands and tens of thousands of ethnic, religious, social, business, labor union, neighborhood, regional and other organizations, all of them varied, voluntary and unique. This is America … a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.” — Aug. 18, 1988

I often think of these words whenever I hear the Gospel about having to be the light of the world; about having to put my light upon a lampstand so that it will shine to all who come near; about having to let others see my good deeds so that they will glorify the heavenly Father. Oh my, such a burden you and I bear.

The word “light” is found in the bible 146 times in the Old Testament, and 58 in the New Testament. Not all references are as profound as that of today’s Gospel, but they were important references. We are also salt; “salt of the earth” you’ve heard many times. Salt was a precious commodity in ancient times. Often, wages were paid in salt rather than money. It was needed that much.

These statements of Jesus are integral to our lives as Christians. These statements pretty much sum up who we are and how we are to live our lives as Christians. I would believe that if we take to heart that we as “salt” can transform another the same as the way salt will transform the taste of food, much would be accomplished. I would also believe that if we take to heart that we are “light”, and live as a light to the world, we will transform others who come to see our light and come to know the Lord.

This is a lot to live up to. We can very easily fall into the trap of not wanting the light because of all it will reveal about us. The same as sunlight through a window shows us all the dust in our homes, so does the light of the Lord shining on us show us the “dust” of sin in our hearts. We often don’t want to see, but we must. You can close off your heart all you want, but the Lord is determined to transform you so that you can transform others, and that light will find the smallest crack in your defenses and will begin to permeate your life. And onward it goes.

I’d like to look, once again, at President Bush’s quote and change it a bit.

“For we are a Church, of thousands and tens of thousands of ethnicities, of men and women, of neighborhoods, social, business, regional and other, all of them varied, and unique. This is our Church — a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky. And hopefully, someday, a broad and peaceful world for the Lord.”

Go forth and be salt. Go forth and be light!

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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Our Mother

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In February of last year, Pope Francis gave the Church a new feast day. The day after Pentecost every year is now the memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. Cardinal Robert Sarah, the head of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, has urged priests to make celebrating this memorial a priority and he said that the readings the Church chose for this feast “illuminate the mystery of spiritual motherhood.” So I thought it would be worthwhile to reflect on the readings today and discover what it means for Mary to be the Mother of the Church and our mother.

The Church gives us two options for the first reading, one of them is from the Acts of the Apostles (I’ll get back to that one) and the other is from Genesis (Gen 3:9-15, 20). This second option is the story of when God confronts Adam and Eve after they ate the forbidden fruit. During that conversation with our first parents, God turned his attention to the serpent and made this remarkable statement:

“Because you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.”

This is the first prediction of Mary and Jesus in scripture. Adam and Eve sinned only minutes before and God already has a plan for how he’s going to fix things. The serpent (representing the devil, sin, and death) will be delivered a fatal blow to the head by a descendant of Eve.

There were only two women in all of human history who did not have original sin, Eve and Mary. Both women were given the choice of either obeying God or turning away from Him. Eve’s choice brought sin into the world whereas Mary’s choice brought Jesus (the destroyer of sin and death) into the world. Eve, whose names means “mother of all the living,” gave birth to sin and death. Whereas Mary gave birth to the Messiah and, in turn, the Church. For, as St. Leo the Great says, the birth of the Head is also the birth of the body.

This brings us directly to the gospel reading for the day. It is St. John’s account of the crucifixion (John 19:25-34) where Jesus is hanging on the cross and sees his mother. The gospel says:

“Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.”

The beloved disciple is likely John himself, but he remains unnamed and thereby represents all of the disciples who Jesus loves, in other words, the whole Church. While hanging on the cross Jesus gives his Church one last gift, a mother – his mother. And Mary doesn’t hesitate in taking on her motherly role.

Now we make it back to the other option that the Church gives us for the first reading taken from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:12-14). Here we see Mary, in a very human way, take up her role as Mother of the Church. This reading takes place immediately after Jesus ascended into heaven. Jesus told them that the Holy Spirit was coming but he didn’t tell them when. So the apostles went back to the upper room in Jerusalem and waited. The reading says:

“When they entered the city they went to the upper room where they were staying…[and] devoted themselves with one accord to prayer, together with some women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.”

Mary was here as a mother to the apostles, encouraging and praying with them as they waited for the Spirit Jesus had promised them. Mary was already full of grace and the Holy Spirit from the Annunciation all those years earlier, so she sat with the apostles and, according to Archbishop Roche (Secretary for  the Congregation for Divine Worship) “she who knew more about the Holy Spirit was helping them to persevere, and to pray, and to make a space for the coming of the Holy Spirit in their own minds and hearts.”

And Mary didn’t cease to be the Mother of the Church after her assumption. “We believe that the Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ” (Catechism 975).

So what does all this mean for us? This feast is another reminder for us to turn to Mary and ask for her motherly help. In my prayer time over the past several weeks the Lord has given me the image of Mary holding her children in her lap and pressing their heads against her heart. By feeling the tender heart of Our Mother we can know Our Father’s heart. The Immaculate Heart of Mary leads us to the Sacred Heart of her Son. At times when we feel distant or angry at God, we can cry out to Mary and ask her to intercede for us and pray for our hearts to soften. And when we’re desperate for the Holy Spirit we know we can ask Mary, who is full of grace, to pray for a greater outpouring of the Spirit on our lives.

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Paul Fahey is a husband, father, and a parish director of religious education. He can be found at his website, Rejoice and be Glad: Catholicism in the Pope Francis Generation or read his work at Where Peter Is.

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One and Two

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Peter and John. The rock and the beloved disciple. The first Bishop of Rome and the one whom Jesus loved.

Today’s Gospel reading is really intriguing with these two apostles. Intriguing but a little difficult to unpack.

We get so much background information about John yet the focus of the passage is on Peter’s conversation with Jesus. Both were following the Lord but where? We do not know. We feel like we are falling back in time to the Last Supper but we know this encounter takes place after the Resurrection. Not to mention, some of the language mirrors other well-known Gospel passages. Where do we even begin?

Verses 20-23 carry a subhead called “The Beloved Disciple” but from the viewpoint of Peter. It is Peter who notices John following Jesus. It is Peter who asks about John, “Lord, what about him?” It is about John whom the Lord answers initially but He turns the attention back toward Peter, saying, “What concern is it of yours? You follow me.” But then the other disciples begin to whisper about John, that he would not die until Jesus returned. There is no mention of where they are going, where it is that Peter and John are following Jesus.

I mentioned the Last Supper because there is a direct reference in verse 20. In that background information about John, he is described as being “the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper and had said, ‘Master, who is the one who will betray you?’” Although we are aware that this Gospel passage we read today takes place after the Passion, Death, and Resurrection, it causes us to take pause. Perhaps to remind us of the events that lead up to this point, especially as we come to the end of the Easter season.

The last little bit of this Gospel that piques my interest is the line Jesus raises to Peter, “What concern is it of yours?” Earlier in the Gospel according to John, we find Our Lord saying similar words to His Mother at the Wedding at Cana: “Woman, how does your concern affect me?” Here, we know that his question followed with the sign of turning water into wine to mark the beginning of His public ministry, turning water into wine. With regards to Peter, Jesus is instructing him to keep his focus on the task at hand – a simple one of following the Lord.

Peter or John. If you look at both apostles right now, who do you relate to? I’m a little partial to Peter right now (I guess that’s what happens when you take a job at St. Peter Church). The Lord is constantly reminding me of the simple in nature yet difficult to follow task of just following Him. Everything else I’m called to do is all because I choose to follow Him.

Side note: I would highly encourage you to prepare for Pentecost this weekend by taking a look at the readings ahead of time. Pentecost is the third-ranking liturgy in the Roman Catholic calendar, inviting the Holy Spirit into the life of the Church to keep it alive. Some parishes will even be celebrating an extended vigil that is similar to the Easter vigil. Check it out if you are able.

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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 follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Losing Control

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Last weekend, I was driving on the highway when a single line of a random, shuffled playlist song caught my attention. The female voice sang, “Yes, I know I’ve lost what you call control, but control isn’t real and you never had it.” As a recovering control freak and a chronic overthinker, I found this concept very interesting.

Growing up, I often struggled with the idea that I was in control of everything in my life. So, when things went wrong, I was the only one I would blame. While it gave me an aptitude for creating pretty intense spreadsheets and impressive lists, it was also incredibly frustrating and disheartening.

A couple of years ago, I was finally able to realize that everything that I am given and am able to give to others comes from God. I needed to “let go and let God.”

So there I am, driving to see my boyfriend because I need to decompress, and I realize exactly why I have been so stressed out. I’m trying to control everything again! I need to remember that the concept of having complete control is a terrible joke that I’m using to abuse myself. Yes, I can control my own actions, but even then, there is not a 100% guarantee that everything will work out according to my plan.

Through the voice of a female vocalist of a pop-punk band, God was reminding me that I should be following Him, wherever He should lead me. Today, we are all reminded of this. The Gospel reading today finds Jesus asking Simon Peter three times if Simon Peter loves Him. Each time, he says yes. Finally, Jesus tells him that when Simon Peter was younger, he did what he wanted and made his own decisions. As he grows older, things will change. He won’t always be in control and he needed to know that by loving Jesus he was agreeing to surrender.

Still, it wasn’t a trap. It was Jesus asking Simon Peter if he was willing to relinquish his control, something we pretend is real and never really had, and give it to God.

In my life, Jesus has asked me repeatedly and I’m so glad he does. I said, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” the first time I released my white-knuckled grip on my attempt at controlling everything. This last weekend was another time Jesus has asked, “Do you love me,” in a way that really means, “Do you trust me?” I’m saying yes, again.

So while I’ve lost what you call control, I remember that control isn’t real, God’s plan is. I never had control, so I let it go. Now I have faith.

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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.

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They Also May Be In Us

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

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

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

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and district manager at Arbonne. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH and is excited to use these skills to bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese

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Dissecting a Passage from Paul

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In today’s first reading Paul says, “Keep watch over yourselves and the over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers”. I would like to dissect this passage to glean its significance. It is truly incredible how reflecting on Scriptures slowly and quietly brings out so much meaning.

Let’s start with ‘Keep watch over yourselves…’ A far cry from an individualistic or egocentric statement, this is a reminder to us that you can’t give what you don’t have. In mother’s circles, this is often called self-care. I am not talking about finding a babysitter to go get a pedicure and have a latte, but rather spiritual and perhaps emotional self-care. Taking a step back from the chaos, the noise, the gadgets and devices, the errands, the novels, the endless work, to just bask in stillness and silence. Maybe you can best do this when gardening or taking a walk, maybe it’s sitting in your favorite recliner or laying in your bed, but if we do not take time to regroup in silence, we burn out and have very little to offer to others. Silence doesn’t mean driving with the radio on or exercising with earbuds. Silence means you can hear the street lights buzz and the crickets chirping. Turn it off and just breathe. Breathe deep and breathe long and breathe repetitively. Let your heart rate slow and then listen, because you have to…

[Keep watch] ‘over the whole flock’. Who is in your flock? Is it your family, your friends, the employees under you? How do you treat them? Do you take care of them and nurture them? Do you truly care about their wellbeing? Because…

‘The Holy Spirit has appointed you [their] overseers.’ I don’t think we often look at life like that. I am a mother to my 4 children, a wife to my husband, a friend to my coworkers, an aunt, sister or daughter to my family members because the Holy Spirit has appointed me. What does that mean? How does that change things? What significance does it have? A whole lot! It means that everything I do, say and think should be led by Him and have His stamp of approval.

Now I am a very task driven, goal oriented person that likes to GET THINGS DONE. Needless to say, this becomes quite a challenge with 4 active little boys running around. Just maneuvering from the fridge to the counter to make a sandwich often has me literally stepping on one of their toes. Try to take on bigger projects and you better have pretty low expectations, cuz it’s not gonna get done in your time frame. I get so frustrated, I raise my voice, I demand help, I focus, and I ignore all else. Sure, there are some cool family moments of little helpers mixed up in there, but how much am I really letting the Holy Spirit in? My eyes glaze over and I am intent on my goal!

Farther down in the passage Paul reminds us of Jesus’ words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” It is more blessed to give of my time, attention, love, and even eye contact to my family than it is to finish putting down my patio stones. Sigh…. The Holy Spirit has appointed me overseer to these little ones. That is a huge responsibility! But it is also a huge opportunity and a huge gift. The way I let God shine through me can show them how to live a godly life.

May God grant us all the grace to take time for ourselves in order to continue caring for others with the consistent presence and guidance of His Holy Spirit.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. Attending Catholic schools her whole life, she was an avid sportswoman, a (mostly) straight A student and a totally type A sister. She loves tackling home projects, keeping tabs on the family finances and finding unique ways to love. 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. Her favorite things to do are finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby, and grocery shopping with a latte in her hand. 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 the past 18 years.

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The Order That Should Have Failed

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Today’s gospel recounts the final moments before Jesus’ arrest in John’s gospel. He offered up his approaching crucifixion and pleads God the Father for the preservation of his disciples. In the next chapter, Peter will deny him and rock the very newly formed priesthood mere hours after it was created.

We are currently in the midst of ordination season. Men in diocese across the world are anointed by their bishops, prostrated before the altar and take the vows of celibacy and obedience. It’s an incredible, grace-filled mass with tradition that began with the ministry of Christ and passed down through the apostles and bishops.

They spend years in seminary in prayer and preparation for this moment. While it is the end of their time as seminarians, it is the beginning of one of the most beautiful, difficult lives a man can live.

The devil hates priests. Not only do they minister to the people of God, but they bring Christ in the flesh to them through the Eucharist. Masses cannot be celebrated without priests; sins are not forgiven in the confessional without priests in persona Christi.

Because of this, we need to pray for our parish priests. The spiritual attacks that they must endure can only be overcome by means of the grace of God. We should be regularly praying and fasting for our priests. Pope Francis is always asking the faithful to pray for him because he knows that without prayer, he would fail as our shepherd.

The priesthood was made by a perfect God for imperfect men. Jesus knew that and it’s why he was praying so fervently for his newly ordained disciples leading up to his arrest. All of them fled but one. The priesthood seemed to have failed in its first moments of existence.

But by the blood of Christ and the grace of the Holy Spirit, it survived and continues to despite the attacks on the order of the priesthood today.

Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.

Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.

Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.

Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.

Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.

We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.

(From the USCCB http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayer-for-priests.cfm)

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Hannah Crites is a native to Denver Colorado and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has written for numerous publications and blogs including the Chastity Project, Washington Times, Faith & Culture: The Journal of the Augustine Institute, and Franciscan Magazine. She is currently working in content and digital marketing for a small web development and digital marketing agency. Connect with her through Twitter (@hannah_crites) and Facebook. Check out more of what she has written at https://hannhcrites.com/.