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In The Vineyard

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How has your Lent been so far? We’re just over two weeks into this liturgical season so it’s a good time for us to pause and evaluate. How are your chosen sacrifices going: strong or have you given up already? Or maybe you’re on the cusp of giving up? How’s your prayer been? What about your almsgiving? 

In the spirit of full honesty, for me, Lent has been a struggle from the very beginning. I had high hopes for this season (maybe too high) and they pretty much all came tumbling down almost immediately. I’ve still kept up with my chosen sacrifice of giving up Netflix but everything I had envisioned for prayer has been flipped upside down and turned around. 

Today’s Gospel also presents us with a great opportunity to evaluate where sin has entered into our life, seeing how Lent itself provides a great opportunity to rid our hearts of sin to make more room for Christ. 

There is a consistent theme of greed among the tenants of the vineyard. They wanted the produce all to themselves, which is why they killed the two groups of servants. Eventually, they also killed the landowner’s son in order to acquire his inheritance. 

Maybe you aren’t greedy to the point of killing someone but greed is a vice that can have a tight grip on our hearts. Do you tend to want more, more, more, even if you know what you have is enough? Do you thank God in prayer for the things that you have? Have you thanked others for the things that you have received from them or are you always wanting more from them? Is your pursuit of the material goods and things of this world more important to you than your pursuit of your relationship with God? These questions can help us begin to examine our consciences when it comes to greed as well as lead us to consider the other vices and sins that may be present in our lives. 

So take time to not only evaluate how your Lent is going but also to examine your heart. Confession opportunities abound during the season of Lent – do not be afraid to approach the Lord in the Sacrament of Reconciliation during this penitential season. 

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Erin Madden is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter@erinmadden2016.

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A Life Of Prayer With Psalm 1 And Beyond

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How do you pray? How do you talk to Jesus?

I have always found it so hard. In this world and age, we are so distracted by the activity around us, it is hard to focus on finding inner peace and conversing with Christ.

Too many times instead we rely on the resources and comforts of our Earthly life: money, security, worldly pleasures.

But in contrast, today’s First Reading states “Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh.” And what follows is, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose hope is the LORD. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream”.

Psalm 1 paints a beautiful image of a source of life, water hydrating and nourishing our soul. The Psalms are actually one of my favorite sections of the entire Bible, as they always seem to so eloquently capture the true emotions of a relationship with God, both the ugly and the beautiful, through nourishing and vivid visuals. In the simplest of terms, they provide an easy foundation to teach us how to pray.

Inspired by today’s readings, I invite you to reflect on how you sustain everlasting life through prayer and conversation with God. With prayer comes inner peace and calmness similar to that of a river stream flowing tranquilly or the air we breathe or the sunlight we feel.

Please pray for the suffering, the lonely, the scared, and the rejected, so that they can know the peace and joy that is Jesus Christ who will be present through all our trials to hold and embrace us. Pray for all the souls in Purgatory, especially those who have no one to pray for them. Please pray for all souls, living and deceased, that we may find the love of Christ as the foremost meaning to life, and that we can accept His love in all we do today and always.

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Dr. Alexis Dallara-Marsh is a board-certified neurologist who practices in Bergen County, NJ. She is a wife to her best friend, Akeem, and a mother of two little ones on Earth and two others in heaven above.

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In Your Hands Is My Destiny

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“Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your kingdom.”

The mother of the sons of Zebedee had figured out, perhaps, that there was a kingdom involved in being a disciple of this itinerant preacher Jesus. For though Jesus with his call to poverty of spirit, meekness and humility certainly didn’t act like the kings she knew, he nevertheless spoke often of the kingdom of God. 

Possibilities, prestige, power…. As any good mother looking out for the interests of her children, she took the opportunity in today’s Gospel reading to ask for places of honor for her two sons. 

The other request for a place in the kingdom of Jesus that comes to mind is the request made by the repentant thief recorded in the Gospel of Luke (23:42-43).

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He replied to him, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

What is the difference between these two requests for a place in the kingdom? They clearly received two very different responses from Jesus.

The repentant thief speaks from a place of surrender, of petition, of awareness of his sin and his need. He turns to Jesus with the trust that is available to him at that most desperate moment of his life. He responds to the action of the Holy Spirit in the measure to which he is capable in this first encounter with his Savior. In a sense, we can say that he is more completely in the form of holiness which is Jesus himself, the form of obedient humble surrender:

Mary, the mother who stood beneath her Son as he died on the cross, no doubt heard this plea that broke from the heart of the repentant thief, and in her heart echoed her own words of obedient surrender uttered years earlier at the Annunciation, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), and at the wedding feast of Cana: “They have no wine,” “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:4-5). 

The Kingdom of God is received, it is surrendered to, it is entered into by one’s complete alignment with God’s will for oneself. We can prepare ourselves, but we do this only by fertilizing the soil of our hearts through the living of the Beatitudes. 

This is why it makes sense that Jesus asks the sons of Zebedee if they are ready to drink the chalice he was to drink. It was a matter, he was saying, of moving downward and pouring out one’s life for others. Then Jesus stated that he himself didn’t have that power to give away these seats in the Kingdom. This was a decision that was the prerogative of the Father. Jesus himself in his very identity as Son deferred in all things, in all ways, to his Father in complete and obedient surrender. 

The request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee, and the desire of the two apostles themselves, did not correspond to the very being of Jesus as Son and so was impossible to grant.

We are called to serve, to be last, to give our lives for others, to trust that the One who holds in his hands our very lives and defines our destiny is faithful and can be trusted.

What places of honor might you be seeking? They may be as world-oriented as the request of the mother of the sons of Zebedee or they might be as spiritual as great holiness or a ministry that stands out and stands above the mundane work of others. In any case, the trap is often very subtle. This Lent come to your Savior with your need and your poverty and see where he himself wishes to lead you. 

“But my trust is in you, O LORD; I say, ‘You are my God.’ In your hands is my destiny” (from today’s Psalm).

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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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Being Exalted

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A new heart and a new spirit. That’s Jesus’ goal for us. He makes all things new, and he wants us to participate in this renewal by casting away all the bad and embracing all the good. He wants us to see what HE has done – turned the world’s understanding upside down – and walk in newness of life IN HIM.

That means every human tradition is questioned and held up to the true Light to see if it fits. Jesus tells his followers that they are to OBEY the scribes and Pharisees, but not IMITATE them. This is because they have the authority to teach the correct letter of the law, but they miss the spirit of the law, and so they distort the trajectory of the law from its true Goal. They have turned the whole tradition to their own benefit, their own honor and glory, not God’s.

Jesus’ whole warning against not calling anyone “Rabbi” or “Father” or “Master” is not intended to mean we can’t actually use any titles on earth; he is reminding us not to put ourselves above others because we are all children of the same God. He does not intend that there should be no hierarchy or any authority on earth; he is reminding us that those in authority have been called to serve others. We are all called to service, and those who are in positions of authority are called to greater service! A mother serves her family, a priest serves his parishioners, the store owner serves his customers, the President of a country serves the citizens. If a person in any role of authority fails to serve others, we call them “self-serving;” we do not express our admiration for self-serving people or hold them up as heroes to emulate!

On the contrary, those who give of themselves in service to others are the people we instinctively look up to: the boss who distributes the profit by giving all the employees big bonuses, or the policeman who puts his own life in danger to save another’s, for example.

In the Church, those we look up to are the saints. These are the real heroes of the Family of God, those who served others for love of God: Mother Teresa, Maximilian Kolbe, Vincent de Paul, the Cure of Ars, Damien the Leper, Sr. Clare Crockett (haven’t heard of her? I recommend the documentary, “All or Nothing” online!), and so many others who followed the Lord of all to serve others.

During Lent, we take time to ponder the Truth that the Lord of all Creation Himself “came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Who in your life has shown you what it means to serve others in self-forgetfulness? How are you being called to serve rather than be served?

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

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Mercy, Thank God

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How great is our God that he is so merciful! In today’s Responsorial Psalm, we repeat, “Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins.” I know that I am, personally, so blessed with a wonderful life in which I can see God’s little miracles that shaped my life and got me to where I am today. Still, I know that I am no angel. I am not perfect nor anywhere near it. I know that I am not excused from confession. But I also know that my God offers me mercy, even when I feel that I do not deserve it. Looking at the Bible, we know that many a murder, an adulterer, a thief, have become followers of Christ after encountering a miracle and witnessing the Living God. 

Now, God’s mercy is not a cop out. It is not for us to see and say, “Well, I’ll repent on my deathbed and I’ll be golden.” Number one, we never know when we may die. Number two, that is not living the life that the Lord calls us to! No, instead we are called to genuinely ask for forgiveness, both from God and those whom we have wronged.  And THEN we are called to offer forgiveness for those who have wronged us. Many times, that’s the hardest part. 

Too often, too many of us do not show each other mercy or are not shown mercy. We see someone mess up and rather than being compassionate and having mercy, we see punishment as a source of power and can abuse it. I think of how many times I wish I had been shown mercy for things that were out of my control… and then I wonder how many times I should have shown mercy for things that were out of other people’s control. 

Dear Father, 

We thank you for all the mercy that you have shown us.

We know that while all may not be “perfect” in the earthly sense,

You are always right beside us, offering salvation.

You are always offering forgiveness, in the face of every sin.

You call out to us in the darkness, when we are most lost,

sharing the light of Your love and endless mercy. 

Today, we humbly place ourselves before You in supplication,

asking for the gift of mercy, as a trait.

Let us hold a mirror to our own faults 

and recognize how Your mercy is truly a beautiful gift.

Let us learn by example and offer compassion even when we cannot relate.

Let us be Christ to others and offer forgiveness even when it is hard for us.

Let us lead others to You by being Christ to others. 

Amen. 

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Pennsylvania. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various Catholic articles in bulletins, newspapers, e-newsletters, and blogs. She continued sharing her faith after graduation as a web content strategist and digital project manager. Today, she continues this mission in her current role as communications director and project manager for Pentecost Today USA, a Catholic Charismatic Renewal organization in Pittsburgh. 

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Our Mountaintop Experiences

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Last summer I attended a Theology of the Body course and had a mountaintop experience. A diverse group of people from around the world came together to learn about St. John Paul II’s teaching and in the span of five days we grew to love each other. Each person I met was amazing, joyful, and in love with Jesus. It was a foretaste of heaven. 

It was a mountaintop much like the one Peter, James, and John were on. It was there they caught a glimpse of what was to come and enthusiastically Peter suggested they build booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Peter wanted to set up camp and stay but that was not what Jesus had in mind. Jesus brought them down from the mountain because there was still work to do. It wasn’t time yet. 

I think God offers us these experiences to give us hope in the goodness he has in store for us. Whether it’s a conference, a time of prayer or even a time with loved ones where we are sure of his presence, I believe God offers us this to buoy us up. And even though like Peter, we desire to stay and soak it in, it’s not time yet. 

Those amazing experiences inspire and feed us and now is the time to share them. Share a time when Jesus reached down and touched you, a time when it felt real. There’s someone who needs to hear it. Those moments are good and beautiful and not just for us alone. Don’t stay on the mountain. Come down and do the work. It’s not time to stay yet, but soon it will be. 

What story of an experience with Jesus can you share?

Jesus, please give me the opportunity to share a story about my experience with you and give me the words you desire someone else to hear. 

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Merridith Frediani loves words and is delighted by good sentences. She also loves Lake Michigan, dahlias, the first sip of hot coffee in the morning, millennials, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids. She writes for Catholic Mom, Diocesan.com, and her local Catholic Herald. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Adoration is available at Our Sunday Visitor and Amazon. You can learn more at merridithfrediani.com.

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Belonging to God

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I have really been struggling with one person in particular lately. Some of the struggles have come about due to emails. Why does so and so have to be so direct, sarcastic, rude, etc.?

When speaking to a friend recently I found myself apologizing for an email that could have come across the very same way! She gave me a piece of advice that I found very helpful. She said that whenever she opens up an email to read it, she tries to think happy. So often the way we read a message depends on our mood at that moment, so if we try to read others’ messages with an upbeat spirit, it may help us to avoid many misunderstandings.

Ultimately, if I assume someone is writing a certain way without proof, I am judging them. Was I there when they were typing? No. Did I hear them speak the words out loud? No. Do I know what frame of mind they were in when they wrote the message? No. Since that is the case, I should always give them the benefit of the doubt and not assume the worst.

In today’s First Reading, Moses encourages the people to observe the statutes and decrees of God with all of our heart and soul. “And today the LORD is making this agreement with you: you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you; and provided you keep all his commandments, he will then raise you high in praise and renown and glory above all other nations he has made, and you will be a people sacred to the LORD, your God.”

What an incredible promise! To be God’s special people, to belong to Him as His own, to be raised up high as a people sacred to the Lord… But what is the caveat? That we follow His commands. If I judge people’s intentions, I am not following His commands. Boy, do I want to partake in that promise, so from now on I pledge to think happy thoughts!

Jesus takes it one step further in the Gospel saying: “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” Now the person I am referring to is far from my enemy, but I have to be careful. If I pile one offense upon another, they could easily become like one in my heart.

As we continue our Lenten journey, let us continue to examine our hearts and purify our minds so that we too may rejoice in the words of the Psalmist: “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”

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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 projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at her parish, 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 over 20 years.

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Stay Close to Christ

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As with Lent itself, our readings today are sobering. We might not recognize it at first, focusing instead on the message of hope: “If the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed … he shall surely live, he shall not die”; “For with the Lord there is kindness and with him plenteous redemption” (Ezek. 18:21; Ps. 130:7). That message is real, but to truly appreciate it we first need to understand the more difficult message.

Jesus says in the Gospel that our righteousness must surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, and that even saying so much as “You fool” merits the fires of Gehenna. Speaking through Ezekiel, God says that if the righteous man turns back to iniquity, he will surely die. We hear at one and the same time that God judges sin harshly, expecting perfection from us, and also that He is merciful and does not desire the death of the wicked.

Both are true, and this is the drama of Lent and the drama of the Christian life. God makes demands of us and issues commandments, and He expects us to live up to the call. The Ten Commandments are difficult for sinful man. Despite this, Jesus raises the standard in the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon is summarized by His stark injunction: “Be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). These are not idle words!

But who can live up to this? “If you, O Lord, mark iniquities, who can stand” (Ps. 130:3)? No one, really. Through our sin, even through something so apparently small as yielding to wrath, we merit the fires of hell. We choose a finite good over the infinite, often knowing exactly what we do. But that is not the end of the discussion.

Christ comes to redeem, and His words are not idle when He speaks of this side of the drama. “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). Our Lord gives us humanly unattainable demands, but He provides us with divine grace, the life of God in our souls.

How can we access this grace? Generally, by remaining close to Jesus and by turning from sin. This is what we hear at the beginning of Lent: Repent! We are sinners, and we do not deserve heaven. Yet, life is open to us if we turn away from sin and keep the Lord’s statutes. We ought to seek forgiveness and follow the Commandments, Beatitudes, and the other teachings of God.

More specifically, we need to stay close to the seven sacraments and the sacramentals (holy water, blessed objects, etc.). Jesus Christ instituted the sacraments as the means of incorporation into Himself. This means that He intended us to receive Baptism, go to Confession frequently, and receive the Eucharist in order to be saved. “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).

It is through the sacraments and the Sacrifice of the Mass especially that we are so incorporated into Christ as to share in His claim to heaven. Through the sacraments we are cleansed of our sins, receive God’s life in us, and are equipped to avoid sinning and live a life of holiness in the future. Let us take advantage of these great graces during the season of Lent, and throughout the drama of our Christian lives.

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David Dashiell is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. His writing has been featured in Crisis Magazine and The Imaginative Conservative, and his editing is done for a variety of publishers, such as Sophia Institute and Scepter. He can be reached at ddashiellwork@gmail.com.

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I Have No Help But You

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“God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, blessed are you. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you.” These words still feel as tangible and heartfelt as they must have seemed to anyone who could hear them echo through the halls of the palace where Esther was made queen. Here was a woman of such profound strength because she knew God would grant her what she needed when she needed it. It would have been easy for her to take full credit for her ability to come to the defense of those she loved, but instead she gave full credit to God and relied on him for everything. 

Today, I think one of the major heresies that we struggle with in our modern day is Pelagianism. Named for its author, Pelagius, this is essentially the idea that original sin does not exist and that we can actually live as good Christian people apart from the grace of God. The proverbial, “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” mentality plagues our culture today as we become more technologically and scientifically advanced. The more money, power, and prestige that we possess, the easier it is to believe that we do not need our creator. And we have been warned what happens when we don’t believe we need a creator anymore. The book of Romans makes it clear that, “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever!” 

How many people do you know in your life who rely more on material possessions and their own ingenuity first and then if there is any room left maybe they throw up a quick prayer or ask for positive vibes? This is one of the reasons that Lent and specifically fasting and almsgiving are so important. When we start to deny ourselves certain things and give up our possessions we start to realize that nothing belongs to us. All is gift. All things have been given to us by God and we are called to be good stewards of the things we have and realize that without God we are nothing. This isn’t to put ourselves down or make it seem like we are no good, on the contrary, when we realize how we were created and who we are loved by, we are very good indeed. But this goodness is due to God, not ourselves. WE STILL NEED HIM. 

During these times of uncertainty, discussions of war have been on everyone’s mind. I don’t think it’s an accident that today’s readings and the state of the world come to us during Lent. It has led me to ask a very important daily question which I encourage all of you to ask during this season. If I were to wake up tomorrow and lose everything except the things I have actively thanked God for, what would be left? 

Are we thanking God for his constant gifts? Are we aware of how he is working in our lives or are we shutting him out with all the noise? Lent is the time to deny ourselves so that we can see our reliance on God and our call to give to others. Let’s try to live by Esther’s example of crying out, “Help me, who am alone and have no help but you.” From all of us here at Diocesan. God bless!

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Tommy Shultz is a Business Development Representative for Diocesan. In this role he is committed to bringing the best software to dioceses and parishes while helping them evangelize on the digital continent. Tommy has worked in various diocese and parish roles since his graduation from Franciscan University with a Theology degree. He hopes to use his skills in evangelization, marketing, and communications, to serve the Church and bring the Good News to all. His favorite quote comes from St. John Paul II, who said, “A person is an entity of a sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love.”

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Be a Ninevite

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The Jewish people had been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for a Messiah. They memorized Scripture, kept all of the Mosaic Law, repeated the stories and traditions so that on the day of the Messiah’s arrival, they would be ready. More than ready, they would be the people God called them to be! Jesus comes, the Messiah is truly present among them, and what happens? Not everyone recognizes him. Worse, those thought to be the most religiously “in tune” are the ones who are the most critical. 

Jesus pushes his audience with today’s teaching, and he pushes us as well. He draws our attention to the Ninevites, an Old Testament people who lived lives of wickedness and debauchery. God sent a reluctant Jonah to preach to them so that they could repent. When Jonah finally got to them and began his work, they recognized the truth of his words and the whole city repented and changed their ways. Jesus points to the wisdom and insight of the Ninevites. They heard words of truth and acted upon them. Yet here was Jesus, Messiah and Chosen One, in and among people trained to hear his words of truth, being questioned and doubted. 

When I consider Jesus’ words, I find myself wondering how often I expect a sign from Jesus. Do I ask him to prove himself, his faithfulness, his love? Do I make bargains with him, “I’ll do X but only if you do Y.” Do I question his presence with me or in the Eucharist?

We are blessed, privileged to know the full story of salvation. We know the Paschal Mystery, the mystery of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection. We have the words Jesus said, the things he did, the promises he made. What further signs could we want? 

Even with all that Jesus gave us, still we doubt. As you journey through this Lenten season, take some time to reflect on your trust in Jesus’ promises. Are you like the Ninevites, who recognized Truth when it was preached to them? Are you like the Pharisees, seeking signs when you already have everything you need? Somewhere in the middle? Take heart and trust in the Lord. He is with you, providing you with the Holy Spirit to face any challenge, walk any distance, until you meet the Father in heaven. 

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Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at DailyGraces.net.

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The Power of God’s Word

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The First Reading today always makes me think of the power of Sacred Scripture. Words which, though penned by various writers in various times and circumstances, are ultimately authored by God Himself! 

Ever since I was in high school, the Scriptures have captured my imagination. That was thirty-five years ago when it wasn’t common to see Catholics read and study the Bible on their own initiative. Thankfully, today there are many Catholics who know that the Bible is a Catholic book—compiled and disseminated by the Catholic Church and preserved and interpreted for over 2,000 by the same Catholic Church!

If we are interested in knowing God and want to hear his voice, the Scripture is like Aladdin’s cave.  A veritable treasure trove of truth, wisdom, and knowledge.

As I have traveled the course of my life, reading Scripture and trying to understand it with the mind of the Church, I have learned to depend on God’s Word more and more. One of the ways Scripture has gained practical application in my life is in spiritual battle. As Christians, we know we are in a spiritual battle at all times. We are constantly being tempted to selfishness, pride, despair, and various other sins. When we use the Word of God to fight our own human weakness and to come against the evil forces who tempt us, we tap into a unique and awesome power. As God Himself says in today’s reading, “[My word] shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.”

When we are feeling vulnerable, there is supernatural power that comes from declaring, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31) If we are tempted to doubt God’s providence, there is supernatural change that we can experience by reminding ourselves to, “Rejoice in the Lord, always. I shall say it again: rejoice!…The Lord is near. Have no anxiety at all…” (Phil 4:4-6). And when our children are bombarded by the godless ideology of our day, we can teach them to memorize “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” (James 4:7-8). As the next generation begins to engage in the spiritual battle, we must equip them with supernatural weapons.

Recently, as my petite, faith-filled mother-in-law was dying from cancer, I knew that she was tempted to fear. I posted a verse of Scripture from the book of Daniel where she could read it every day. Even when she was unable to see it or to speak, I would periodically recite it to her. “Do not fear, greatly beloved, you are safe. Be strong and courageous.” God’s words. Words to help us die. Words to help us live!

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Christine Hanus is a thwarted idealist who, nevertheless, lives quite happily in Upstate NY. She is a wife and mother of five grown children.

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A Very Acceptable Time

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It is Monday and a very acceptable time to reflect, think and pray. The readings today help to narrow my thought process and provide many lenses to help my focus during Lent 2022. My reflection builds on the blog from two years ago with the same readings (not intentional).

The Leviticus reading goes farther than the Ten Commandments. The verses are especially poignant to me right now. Each phrase, each sentence declares:

“You shall not steal. You shall not lie or speak falsely to one another.

You shall not swear falsely by my name, thus profaning the name of your God.

I am the LORD.

You shall not defraud or rob your neighbor.
You shall not withhold overnight the wages of your day laborer.

You shall not curse the deaf, or put a stumbling block in front of the blind,

but you shall fear your God.

I am the LORD.

You shall not act dishonestly in rendering judgment.

Show neither partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty,

but judge your fellow men justly.

You shall not go about spreading slander among your kin;

nor shall you stand by idly when your neighbor’s life is at stake.

I am the LORD.

You shall not bear hatred for your brother in your heart.

Though you may have to reprove him, do not incur sin because of him.

Take no revenge and cherish no grudge against your fellow countrymen.

You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

I am the LORD.” LV 19:11-18

I have to be on guard to make sure that when I read and pray with the above words, I direct them to me and me alone. I have to set aside the immediate images or situations that pop into my head which focus on others’ actions.

Now is a very acceptable time to order my thoughts and actions according to the Word of my Master, my Lord, my Savior, my God.

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Beth Price is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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