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I Have To Give Everything?

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“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich
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.”

“And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters
or father or mother or children or lands
for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,
and will inherit eternal life.”

Jesus’ words are beautiful. Poetic. Appealing to the romantic in me:

“Deny everything and everyone for my sake.”

Nothing can compete with God’s love in order for us to have it entirely. But that’s like any relationship. If composing these reflections becomes more important than giving my fiancé my attention, then the relationship will suffer. So too is it with Christ; if we are preoccupied by anything more than His will, then the relationship will suffer.

This is a constant battle to fight. I wish it wasn’t. I wish that when we were baptized, any and all duplicity and concupiscence (the tendency to sin) were just decimated and Jesus would be like,

“Ok, you’re all set, dude. Now, just be cool for the rest of your time on earth and when you’re time’s up there, I got a sweet spot for you up here.”

But no.

Everyday, we have to choose Him over everything and everyone else. There can be landmark moments in our lives when we truly decided to put Christ before everything and everyone else, i.e. quitting a job, selling or giving away possessions. But everyday afterwards, we have to choose to not be ruled by them.

“You posses your possessions or they posses you.”

-Jon Foreman of Switchfoot in the song “If The House Burns Down Tonight”

We can be destitute and still have the handicap of a rich man: his preoccupation with wealth. Being preoccupied with wealth isn’t the only trap we can fall into. Power, honor and pleasure can also keep us preoccupied from pursuing God’s will. But none are as satisfying, as fulfilling, as lasting as denying ourselves and being obedient to God.

Fight the good fight.

Pursue God at the price of everything.

Live to the full.

During the week, Matthew Juliano is a mentor for individuals who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. On the weekends, he is a drummer for Full Armor Band. You can find more content by Matt and his band at www.fullarmorband.com.

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The Gift Of Grace

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Today’s Gospel stands out as one of my favorites. We hear the story of the man who wants to gain eternal life and he asks Jesus what he must do. It’s important to remember here that Jesus can see his heart when he asks this question. He can see that deep down this man wants to know the minimum rules he has to follow in order to get to heaven, but that his heart really isn’t concerned with growing in virtue.

I hate to admit this is me sometimes. Studying theology makes it easy for the faith to be all book knowledge and the virtue stuff kind of falls by the way side. One of my passions to study is morality and this can make that mindset even worse because morality is really the focus on what actions are correct or incorrect.

But as we all know, at the heart of morality is a person. A person who wants a real relationship with us, one of love and not just rules. Now I am not saying that rules aren’t important, but I am saying they cannot be the sole focus. As we read on we hear Jesus say to the man, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good.” It is clear that Jesus is telling the man not to focus as much on the laws he must follow and instead put his main focus on the one who will help him follow those same laws.

Rooted in the One who will give us the grace, we can start to live by the ten commandments and we can begin to grow in virtue. It all has to start with God. The man in the story thought he could do it all himself, without any real virtue or grace. So Jesus puts him to the ultimate test and asks him to give up everything and follow. Do I follow in my life? Do you? How often do we try to do it on our own and think that if we just mark the check box by our own power we will attain eternal life? The mark of a saint is humility. They humble themselves to know it is not about them and that they need grace.

I want to end with this great quote from Pope Francis’ new Apostolic Exhortation. It has been helping me so much in my faith life. 

“The Church has repeatedly taught that we are justified not by our own works or efforts, but by the grace of the Lord, who always takes the initiative. The Fathers of the Church, even before Saint Augustine, clearly expressed this fundamental belief. Saint John Chrysostom said that ‘God pours into us the very source of all his gifts even before we enter into battle.’ Saint Basil the Great remarked that the faithful glory in God alone, for ‘they realize that they lack true justice and are justified only through faith in Christ.'”

Let’s ask for the grace to not only enter the battle, but fight and live by the truth in all humility and grace. Amen.

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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Friends Don’t Let Friends Go To Hell

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Accountability: Adjective

  1. (Of a person, organization, or institution) required or expected to justify actions or decisions; responsible.

  2. Explicable; understandable

Personally, I hate being called out. When those who are closest to me decide to tell me their thoughts or feelings on certain mistakes I’ve made, it’s uncomfortable. I am blessed to have many dear friends who know me well and who are close enough to be blunt with me.  It is helpful for me to be held accountable for things I’ve done or did not do.

At times, I have been the one calling others out as well. In those moments I have always tried to do so with gentleness and love.  Love is the main reason we call one another out! We are moved by love for the other person that we sometimes need to stop and say “Hey, that wasn’t a good idea” or “Do you really think this is the best decision for you?”

In high school I went to a youth group retreat and our group t-shirt read,

“Friends Don’t Let Friends Go To Hell”.

Yup, it said the word hell. And as a 16 year old I thought it was pretty cool to wear at a retreat. That quote became engraved into my heart throughout my life as I realized how honest it was. All the times I have been called out by my friends or family, and all the times I have called them out is due to love. To genuinely wanting Heaven for that person and wanting what is best for them.

I’ll be honest.  In today’s readings, I feel very called out by St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. St. Paul states to us that we should watch carefully how we live. He’s reminding us to not live in foolishness and ignorance.  He reminds us to not get drunk on wine and lies of debauchery, but to try to understand the will of the Lord. He reminds us to fill our hearts and our minds with the Spirit of God in a prayer of thanksgiving.

We are being held accountable to try. He tells us that we should be giving our absolute best to God.  We should always strive to understand God’s will for each of our lives, which cannot be done without prayer.  How often I need to be reminded, called out, and held accountable for something as simple as setting aside genuine time with Christ and putting in the real effort to try.

In the Gospel Reading, we hear the tender voice of Jesus. I swear every time Jesus calls me out in Scripture, it is done with such love and tenderness. He shares Good News with us, that He offers us the bread of life! He reminds us that we remain in Him and He remains in us when we receive the Eucharist. He shares that whoever receives this bread will live forever!

Looking at St. Paul’s words to us and Christ’s words in the Gospel, I feel a pull to the Eucharist. I feel called out to more time of prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

I don’t know where your heart is today. I don’t know how much effort you’ve put into trying in your relationship with Christ. I don’t know if you go to daily mass, have a weekly holy hour, or what your prayer life is like. I don’t know if you feel called out by these Scripture readings the way that I do. But I do know that each of us is called to give 100% effort in our choice to try today. That each of us should set more time aside for Christ today than we did yesterday. I hope we watch more carefully our words and our actions this day and remain in His Sacred Heart. Choosing to try today is making the choice of our daily conversion. Choosing Christ in this moment, in this day is a victory.

Let’s choose to give Him our hearts today.. Let’s choose Him and remain with Him today.

 

Briana is a Catholic Doctrine teacher at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel school 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 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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Nurturing God’s Love

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It was really hard to write today’s Inspiration Daily. I cannot deny that high tensions surround anything calling out directly, or even indirectly, the fact that racism, violence, sexism/misogyny, gay panic and fiscal irresponsibility exist. I recall an argument from my middle school science class; nature or nurture?

How much of what we believe and who we are is an outcome of what our parents have taught us versus how much is actually a part of who we are? Are people born with loving/racist, kind/violent, heterosexual/LGBTQ+ tendencies or are they formed from small and key moments that impact their daily live as they grow up? Unfortunately, the argument of our genetic makeup or environment mattering more is still an open discussion that continues, but today God tells us that it is not up to our genetic makeup to define us.

Ancient Hebrews used to use the proverb, “Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are on edge,” to blame their behavior on their ancestors. Though it has been thousands of years, we are still blaming those before us for our own actions. Phrases such as “I am a product of my upbringing” and “I can’t help it” can no longer be an excuse for our sins. It is up to us, as adults, to define our own future for both this life and our afterlife.

In today’s first reading, God commands us to never repeat this proverb, because we are judged on our own sins, not our parents’. Your father may have been an immoral person, but God will not judge you according to his sins. This is an absolutely wonderful thing, but at the same time it also means that we can’t blame our parents for who we are as a coworker, as a partner, as a parent, as a society.

Since we are created in God’s image and likeness, we are all called to love, regardless of our genetic disposition or environment. Yes, some events in our lives may push us towards hatred, but as the Catechism reminds us, we recognize the urge to “to what is good and avoid what is evil.” If we are true children of God, it should not be a choice, not even our last one.

Think about the argument again. Nature or nurture? We are children of God by nature, so we should do all things with love and gratitude, that much is clear. Now if the rest is up to nurture, then the choice is ours. We can choose to nurture God’s love and share it with those around us. We can transform others with our own choices, giving eternal glory to God with our hands, voices, and thoughts. On the other hand, we can choose to nurture hatred and sin, causing others to sin and be judged accordingly.

Let us pray the Responsorial Psalm for guidance.

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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Sanctity Of Marriage, Gift Of Vocations

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Several years ago, I had the privilege being the Director of Family Life in a Diocese down south. The role primarily entailed helping engaged couples prepare for marriage and screening married couples who were experiencing infertility and wished to adopt a child. The fact of the matter was I had never been married myself, nor had I been a parent. I had observed my parents’ marriage and how they raised us, as well as my siblings, but any amount of expertise I had on the subject did not come from personal experience. I had yet to find the love of my life and start my family. I learned about communication, finances, natural family planning, and character differences right along with the couples. As I studied to give talks, I gained valuable knowledge and a deeper understanding of the seriousness of this commitment and this covenant with God and another.

Jesus speaks of this seriousness with the Pharisees in today’s Gospel: “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” What a profound and powerful thing for two people of opposite genders, differing psyches, varying ideas and fluctuating hormones to be joined as one! Married couples are called to be of one mind and one body, to be a united team in family life, each standing faithfully by the other.

Because of the profound beauty and joy this sacrament brings, to willfully renounce it is a great sacrifice indeed. Those who follow the call to the priesthood, religious life or celibate singlehood are not only giving up sexual pleasure, but also the security and comfort of steady companionship and the gift of children. Yet they in turn are a great gift to us, the backbone of the Church, so to speak, who uphold us with their prayers, sacrifices, good council and participation in the Mass.

So these readings are a great reminder to me of both the sanctity of my own marriage and the gift of vocations, as well as a reminder to keep both married couples and priests and religious in prayer, that we may all faithfully follow our call in life so as to reach our heavenly goal.

Tami Urcia is wife and mother to her small army of boys. She works full time at Diocesan and is a freelance translator and blogger (BlessedIsshe.net and CatholicMom.com) She loves tackling home projects, keeping tabs on the family finances, and finding unique ways to love. Tami spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree. Her favorite things to do are spending time outside with the kiddos, quiet conversation with the hubby, and an occasional break from real life by getting a pedicure or a haircut. You can find out more about her here.

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Forgiveness Without Conditions

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For most people, forgiveness has conditions. I’ll forgive if someone apologizes to me, or if they do something to somehow “make it up” to me. I’ll forgive if they take the first step.

I always find that curious. When you were wronged by the person you’re refusing to forgive, that person had control over you. By waiting for them to make the first move and apologize, you’re allowing them to continue to have control over you. Is that truly what you had in mind? Does that really make any sense?

In 1979, 19-year-old Anne Marie Hagan’s father was murdered. Hagan was consumed with anger, bitterness, vengeance, and self-pity. Almost twenty years later, she was able to meet with the killer, and she forgave him. Her forgiveness wasn’t based on the offender asking for it. “Forgiveness cannot be conditional on remorse,” she says, “because that would mean we can only forgive those who are sorry.”

In 2006, a man walked into an Amish school and shot 10 girls between the ages of nine and 13. The shooter, Charles Roberts, then committed suicide. In the midst of their grief over this shocking loss, the Amish community didn’t cast blame. Instead, they reached out with grace and compassion toward the killer’s family. That same day, Amish neighbors visited the Roberts family to comfort them in their sorrow and pain. Amish mourners outnumbered the non-Amish at the Roberts’ funeral.

These are two very different and very striking examples of forgiveness. As long as Anne Marie Hagan held onto her bitterness, she couldn’t live her life fully; it wasn’t until she forgave that she felt free. And the Amish didn’t wait: their automatic reaction was to forgive.

Today’s Gospel reading is at the root of these and many other acts of forgiveness. As Christians, we are called to forgive, not because anyone who has wronged us asks us for it, but because God asks it of us.

Peter, ever the questioning one, always trying to get it right, asks Jesus, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus must have looked at him with compassion–but, perhaps, also with some amusement. Peter was thinking in such small terms! “I say to you,” Jesus replies, “not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Seventy-seven times! Peter must have been gobsmacked. He probably thought that forgiving someone seven times would make him a pretty fine fellow–but that wasn’t even close. Seventy-seven times might as well be infinite; and that is, of course, the point. God forgives us, over and over and over again. And it’s our responsibility, our calling, to pass that along, as Jesus underlines in the story of the servant forgiven his debt who won’t forgive someone else their debt. How can we stand in the light of God’s unending forgiveness–and not forgive others?

The bonus is that, occasionally, forgiveness isn’t as difficult a task as we make it out to be. In Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer C.S. Lewis writes,

Last week while at prayer, I suddenly discovered—or felt as if I did—that I had really forgiven someone I have been trying to forgive for over thirty years. Trying, and praying that I might. When the things actually happened (sudden as the longed-for cessation of one’s neighbor’s radio), my feeling was, “But it’s so easy. Why didn’t you do it ages ago?”

Sometimes God grants us the grace to forgive easily. More often, it takes effort, and discipline, and faith on our part to get over whatever insult or injury someone has done to us. But in this as in many others lessons, Jesus is wise. Carrying the burden of a grudge, of hatred, of anger isn’t hurting the other person–it’s hurting us. It’s keeping us away from the perfect freedom of life in Christ. It’s erecting a wall between us and God’s grace.

For the Amish of Pennsylvania, forgiveness was as natural as breathing. Forgiveness didn’t negate their pain or grief or loss, but it elevated it, instead, into an offering to God.

We who are forgiven must forgive. It is that simple, and that difficult, and that necessary.

Jeannette de Beauvoir works in the digital department of Pauline Books & Media as marketing copywriter and editor. A graduate of Yale Divinity School, where she studied with Adian Kavanagh, OSB, she is particularly interested in liturgics and Church history.

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Happy Feast Of The Assumption

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Happy Feast of the Assumption from all of us here at Diocesan. Mary was constantly present to Jesus as His mother. I like to think about home life growing up for Jesus. He had a Mother and Father who cared about Him deeply and helped Him to grow. It’s no secret that family life has taken a blow in our culture. But we still have hope. As long as we have the witness of the holy family, we can work every day to care for the ones we love and realize the importance of our presence in their lives.

Paradisus Dei has created a very well done video that speaks to the importance of being present in our families. I thought we would do a bonus post today for the Feast of the Assumption and share this video with all of you.

May we all learn from the example of Mary and look for ways we can be present to our families. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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Out Of Whack

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“Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its head were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars of the sky.”

Lately, I have just felt off, out of sync. Like if life is a play, everyone else already knows their lines and I have yet to see the script. It seems I stumble through my days trying not to get in anyone’s way and crawl into bed at night with little strength left or the will to even say a prayer. I fall asleep before my handsome husband makes his way to bed; only to wake the next morning unrested and not at all feeling prepared to do it all over again.

And it seems like it is more than just me. When I look around, it feels like much of the world is out of whack too. Cardinals, the princes of the Church, and bishops are being exposed for misusing their authority and severely damaging both beautiful individuals and causing scandals so vast that it can’t be surprising if many turn away from God and His Church. In a dark world which is demanding that tolerance be valued over truth, they are providing grist for the mill.

“…the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit.”

Oh, how I need this today! The Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary into heaven is our day to celebrate that we have a spiritual mother who has not only gone before us on earth, she is already in heaven and interceding for us. When life gets rough and we need our Mom, we know right where to find her!

Today’s Gospel is the most we ever hear from Mary and God’s mercy gets two mentions. Even when the very stars fall from the sky (or the princes from their thrones) God’s mercy is there. The work of our life lies in how we respond to that mercy. If we want to live a truly holy life, not in a floating-angel-singing-all-day-type of way, but if we want to be holy in a crazy-out-of-whack-world-where-it-is-hard-to-find-and-keep-our-footing way, there is no easier, surer way to do that than to go to our Mother and imitate her virtues. (Just ask St Louis de Montfort!)

Virtues are more than just good habits, virtues are moral goods and something which is a moral good is not only good for us personally, but is a good for all of society. Virtues shine as lights in the world and are truth visible in the action of our behavior. As others have done since the early days of Christianity, in Mary’s virtues we can refocus and draw nearer to Jesus, even when the world doesn’t feel right. (We know it isn’t about our feelings anyway, those fickle bedfellows who come and go as they please.) It is about obeying the Father, following the Son, and cooperating with the Holy Spirit and if we are going to figure out how to do all that, there is no one better suited to teach us than the most faithful daughter of the Father, the most holy and humble Mother of the Son, and the most pure spouse of the Holy Spirit.

I always tell my sister, if you see me getting out of whack, or having a hard a time staying focused, just ask me when was the last time I prayed the rosary. While I always intend to pray the rosary daily, the fruit, or sometimes more obviously, the lack of fruit in my life is a dead giveaway of just how much time I am spending with my heavenly Mom.

So in this current time of life when the darkness of discord and distrust seems to be the pervasive way of the world, I can choose to respond to God’s mercy by committing myself to the rosary anew. I can offer up study of Mary’s virtues. I can prayerfully meditate on how those truths look in action and through God’s grace, I can carry with me, the light of Mary, my Mother which is her Son, Jesus.

If you see me soon, please keep me accountable and ask me when I last prayed the rosary.

Hail Mary, most pure 

Hail Mary, most prudent

Hail Mary, most humble

Hail Mary, most faithful

Hail Mary, most devout

Hail Mary, most obedient

Hail Mary, most poor

Hail Mary, most patient

Hail Mary, most merciful

Hail Mary, most sorrowful

Mary, Mother of us all, pray for us, your children!

While wearing many hats, Sheryl O’Connor is the wife and study buddy of Thomas O’Connor. Not having received the gift of having their own children, their home is filled with 2 large dogs and their hearts with the teens and youth with whom they work in their parish collaborative. Sheryl is the Director of Strong Families Programs for Holy Family Healthcare which means her job is doing whatever needs to be done to help parents build strong Catholic families. Inspired by the works of mercy, Holy Family Healthcare is a primary healthcare practice in West Michigan which seeks to honor the dignity of every individual as we would Christ. Find out more at https://www.holyfamilyhealthcare.org/

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The Supernatural Vision Of Fr. Kolbe

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I believe it was sometime in June when I signed up to write the reflection on this particular day. To be honest, I wasn’t really paying attention to what the readings were or the feast day, I just picked a day that worked with my schedule. So I was surprised when I realized after the fact that it was the feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Though I shouldn’t have been surprised, it’s not the first time Fr. Kolbe’s feast day has caught me off guard.

As a kid I remember finding an old comic book about Maximilian Kolbe on my parents’ bookshelf. I’m not sure why it was there. I don’t recall my parents ever talking about this saint when I was growing up. Fr. Kolbe is the patron saint of prisoners, and my dad has been leading prison ministry for decades, so maybe that’s why it was hanging around?

That comic was pretty much all I knew about Fr. Kolbe until I read a book about 20th century martyrs for a college course that had a chapter dedicated to this Polish priest. It was at that point that this saint started impacting my life. I read that chapter multiple times and offered to give a talk about Fr. Kolbe for my young adult group. In the preparation for that talk I was forced to articulate why this man fascinated me so much.

It was around that time that Pope Francis released his first encyclical, Lumen Fidei, The Light of Faith. There the pope says, “Faith does not merely gaze at Jesus, but sees things as Jesus himself sees them, with his own eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing” (LF 18). Hang on to that idea for a second. Jesus is God, the Creator who caused the Big Bang and who transcends the universe. Time itself is as much a creature of God as giraffes are. Faith is the power to see the cosmos from God’s vantage point, from beyond space and time.

What attracted me so much to Maximilian Kolbe was his faith. He spent months living in Auschwitz, Hell on earth. Yet all of the testimonies from fellow prisoners and guards give witness to a man who was the picture of peace. How could this be? Here I am, someone who gets all bent out of shape when I’m running ten minutes late for a meeting.

God’s supernatural life had so transformed Fr. Kolbe into the likeness of Christ that he saw the world as Christ did. He was able to see his passion and death the way that Jesus saw His. He saw beyond the raging storm of the present, beyond space and time, and knew that this evil he was witnessing had already lost, that death ultimately had no sting. It was Fr. Kolbe’s faith that both intrigued and challenged me.

Fast forward several years past that talk. My wife and I had been married nearly five years and had three kids, the youngest was nine months and the oldest was about to turn four. My wife suffered from pretty severe postpartum anxiety and after three kids pretty close together we decided that she really needed a break from pregnancy, infants, and postpartum for a few years. However, in addition to anxiety, my wife had other health problems that made practicing NFP especially difficult. The normal signs of fertility one would use to avoid pregnancy weren’t so clear, and when this uncertainty mixed with postpartum anxiety and the stress of a newborn, let’s just say it was a difficult time in our marriage.

In the midst of all that turmoil we found out that we were pregnant. Our other three kids weren’t necessarily planned, but they were expected. But here we were with a pregnancy we were desperately trying to avoid. There’s a lot of feelings that come with an unplanned pregnancy: fear, anxiety, anger, more fear, and shame. Shame for those passing thoughts about wanting the pregnancy to be over, about wishing this child didn’t exist. It’s a dark place to be.

Because we used NFP and charted my wife’s cycles, we usually had a good idea of when our due date was (sometimes a better idea than the doctors). However, because my wife’s cycles were so abnormal, we didn’t know when the baby was conceived so we didn’t have a due date. A few months into the pregnancy we went to the doctor for the routine checkup and they told us that our child was due on August 14.

When my wife and I realized that was Maximilian Kolbe’s feast day it was like God saying to use that he wanted this child and that it would all work out. It was at that moment that the fear and anxiety started to leave. In that moment God gave us the faith of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. He helped us see beyond the turmoil of the present, to see beyond space and time.

Francis Kolbe Steven will be one years old on August 17th. He missed his due date by three days. The postpartum anxiety returned and so did the difficulties with NFP, but this little boy has filled our life with so much joy.

Pray for the faith of Fr. Kolbe. Pray for supernatural vision during the storms and trials of life, to see reality for what it truly is. Pray for us, Saint Maximilian Kolbe.

[Image Credit: Picture of Francis Kolbe Steven, used with permission from author]

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.

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So As Not To Offend

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“So as not to offend” is a loaded statement. It can be used in hundreds of situations, and sometimes is meant to keep us from correcting people or from saying things that will seem put-offish.

Today’s Gospel is somewhat cryptic. We get a very short reminder that Jesus is preparing his disciples for his death. Then the rather strange story about the temple tax. This piece is only found in Matthew’s gospel, perhaps because Matthew used to be a tax collector. Along with the question and answer period about the tax, we have the miracle of the coin in the mouth of the fish. Would that we all could find our tax money that way! The interesting point about the temple tax is that Jesus believes he should be exempt because He is not a foreigner, but rather a son, Son of God, therefore a citizen – a citizen of the kingdom – the kingdom of heaven. But then he tells Peter to fish for the coin and pay the tax for both of them – “so as not to offend.”

I believe this comes down to something else we often find ourselves saying: “I chose to pick my battles.” Ah, yes. It is at times prudent to let something go rather than putting someone off, who then will never listen to anything we have to say. It could be Jesus’ reason for paying the tax. He would rather pay, so as not to offend, and go on his way preaching and be listened to, rather than having the tax collectors spouting off “Hey, He won’t pay the tax! He’s a cheater! Why should you listen to him?”

It makes perfect sense to me. And I think, at times, it makes sense to pick our battles, whether with our friends, families or others. I don’t believe it means to just back down over everything, because the truth must be spoken, often, and with conviction. But at times we have to be prudent. Are we trying to get a point across by bashing someone over the head with it? Or can we pick our battle at a later date, and work by example to make the point? It may be worth it. In the long run, it was for Jesus. The temple tax was not a battle he was going to fight at that time.

Take people where they are in their spirituality at the time you meet them. Not everyone is ready. It takes prudent pruning and cajoling to get people to listen to the truth. It is foreign to some, and terrifying to others. Take them where they are and let them see, by what you do and how you live, that the truth in Jesus Christ can be embraced without fear, to lead to freedom.

Oh, and you do have to pay your taxes!  God Bless.

Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager here at Diocesan, is currently a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. While at St. Thomas the Apostle, Grand Rapids, Jeanne was a Lector, Cantor, Coordinator of Special Liturgies, Coordinator of lectors and, at one time, chair of the Liturgy Commission. In a past life, secretary/bookkeeper at the Basilica of St. Adalbert where she ran the RCIA program for the Steepletown parishes. And she loves to write! When relaxing, she likes reading and word puzzles. You can contact her at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.

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What Is Living Bread?

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John 6 is dense with meaning, and the Church breaks out the reading of it over several Sundays. It begins with Jesus feeding  more than 5,000 with a few loaves and fishes and then quietly withdrawing before they can make him king; he wants to illustrate that the Kingdom is not what they think it is, and his Kingship is different than they envision.

Last week, we saw the crowd taking boats to Capernaum in search of Jesus because of this miracle, and he tries to help them see that their true hunger cannot be satisfied by endlessly and miraculously multiplying loaves of bread; that Gospel reading ends with Jesus proclaiming, “I am the bread of life,” come down from Heaven like manna.

Today’s Gospel begins with the Jews protesting against this statement; after all, they know him and his parents, so what is he talking about? Jesus tells them to stop complaining amongst themselves but does not directly answer their objections; he prefers to get right to the heart of the matter. He works to draw them into understanding a big truth, one that he surely realizes they cannot fully grasp: he is sent by the Father, and he will raise up on the last day those whom the Father draws. They must believe in order to access this eternal life from the Father, through Jesus. Then he invites them to this belief by stating again clearly, “I am the bread of life,” the bread of eternal life, “the living bread that came down from heaven.” Whoever eats this bread will live. Will they accept this? Will they believe and live? Almost as if daring them to turn away in horror, he amplifies this boldly: “the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”

We cannot blame the Jews for their disbelief and rejection (which we will hear about next weekend!) of these graphic words; they interpret this as a kind of cannibalism, which is forbidden and repugnant. Even his close friends did not really understand what he could mean by these words at this point in their journey with him.

Only over time (and the light of the Holy Spirit) did they understand what Jesus meant by giving his flesh for the life of the world, as they witnessed his passion and crucifixion. Only over time did they understand what it meant to be “raised up,” as Jesus rose from the dead. Only over time did they understand that we are given, not a corpse as “bread,” but the glorified Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Risen One in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Only over time did they understand that this Bread that is Jesus is the only way to fill the deepest hunger of the human person, the Source and Summit of the Christian life.

Where are we in our journey to understanding and accepting this fundamental Truth of our faith?

Kathryn is married to Robert, mother of seven, grandmother to two, and a lay Carmelite. She has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and also as a writer and voice talent for Holy Family Radio. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and presenter, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, individual parishes, and Catholic ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Learn more at www.kathryntherese.com or on Facebook @summapax.

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Faith Like A Mustard Seed

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The gospel today has Jesus saying, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you?” (Mt 17:17). He’s addressing the disciples who were not able to drive out a demon from a boy. Jesus’ exasperation brings a Mona Lisa smile to my face. Why? The apostles are so human and Jesus, as their Rabbi and teacher, has to help them focus, again. How many times do I make the same mistakes, can’t get a project done, forget to pick something (or someone) up? When I honestly look back to review the day or reflect on my process, or lack thereof, I tend to notice a pattern and one I hate to admit as it does happen frequently; I have usually forgotten to pray.

I have neglected to put my faith in my Lord and Savior. I did not call on Him when I began whatever task and intentionally ask for His will and blessing. When I skip that step, to begin the process with His intentions at the forefront of my thoughts, I seem to have many false starts. My focus is so scattered and my personal agenda is so prevalent that even my best intentions make the project a huge mess as I continue to fumble with my actions and words. I have to make myself stop, take a breath and call on the Lord to focus my next step. I have a very good friend who will actually call me out on this, asking me to stop and breathe before I continue as she had noticed my harried (or over-caffeinated) frenzied self.

I feel the same frustration that the apostles felt in not being able to accomplish the tasks that Jesus so easily seems to do. Jesus points out the disciples’ “little faith” and shares the parable of the mustard seed. St. Teresa of Calcutta had that kind of faith, as did St. Francis of Assisi. We celebrate today St. Clare of Assisi whose faith must have been bigger than a mustard seed. At the age of 18 in 1212, Clare fled her home in the middle of the night to escape an arranged marriage. Fleeing to the Portiuncula, the little chapel of St Mary of the Angels in Assisi, she asked Brother Francis to accept her into his order of ‘little’ brothers; Francis did so and cut off her hair (making her undesirable for marriage) much to her father, uncles and brothers’ chagrin. Women religious of the middle ages were cloistered. Clare wished the women following Francis’ example would be able to go out into the world to serve the poor. She faithfully pursued approval for her vision and rule for women which was granted by Pope Innocent IV, just 3 days before her death in 1253, 41 years later.

Living alongside the disciples and teaching them must have at times been frustrating for Jesus. There were moments when the apostles seemed to get it and to be following God’s way in faith.
But today’s Gospel shows us that there were times when Jesus became frustrated with their lack of focus. Through their inconsistency, the disciples make the gift of Jesus so much more profound.

Jesus’ absolute commitment to faith and connection to God changes lives in ways which the 12 seem incapable. Jesus’ power is very evident, and even in a moment of frustration, he does not waver. He continues his ministry to heal, preach and teach the apostles and all of his followers. Let us pray for faith rooted as mustard seeds so we too, can grow strong and flourish in our ministries and prayer life.

Beth Price is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and spiritual director who has worked in several parish ministry roles during the last 20 years. She is a proud mother of 3 adult children. Beth currently works at Diocesan. You can contact her at bprice@diocesan.com.