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Love is (Ideally) Loving Everyone

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I apologize that this was not sent out yesterday. Here is the post for the readings for the Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time. You will be receiving today’s reflection soon. God Bless!

I don’t know how you felt after hearing today’s Gospel. I was exhausted!

Listening to the words of Jesus made me tired. He is describing the ideal Christian life. He is describing exactly what he came to earth to teach us. And it is just too much!

Just too much? Ok, some of us may think so, and I know I have often thought of it as “too much.” How can anyone stand up to this way of living, of loving? Please, Lord, there must be some times when I can ignore the one who mistreats me; the one to strikes me on the cheek;  the one who takes my cloak; those who do not love me, let alone like me. And what of those who are always doing me harm? Those sinners! And those to whom I’ve lent money, only never to have it returned? And what’s this about sinners! They will also only love those who do them good or who love them.  Must I be lumped into that category?

Arrggh! It is just too much!

Now — calm down. Take a breath and, if you must, close your eyes and repeat:

Ohm….ohm…ohm.
Ok. The answer to all of this — YES! Unless you try, with all your heart, to live up to this ideal, you will be lumped into the same category you are denigrating. Because if Jesus came for nothing else, it was to show us – not just tell us – but to show us, how to live this ideal and to bring about true peace and personal happiness. It is the only way hope will be brought to the hearts of everyone who believe themselves unlovable, including you and me. It is the only way!

The next question, is, how do we accomplish this ideal way of living. First of all, we have to realize that we will never reach the ideal 100%. But we must, without fail, continue to try each day to live up to it. And to get up and continue when we fall short. It is the lack of trying that makes us a failure. It is in the continued trying that we will produce good fruit. So, how?

The final paragraph of the gospel tells us how: stop judging; stop condemning. Start forgiving and giving. Jesus promises us that our gifts will be overflowing. The graces given us to keep going will not dry up. Every day, you and I must do at least one small thing from this list to continue to grow in grace and love. Every act brings us closer to Our Lord and closer to our goal of being with him for eternity. Don’t despair at what you see going on around you. It is what you do within the chaos of this world that will begin to change the hearts of those around you, in your little part of the world.

Carry with you, besides the words of the Gospel, the words of G. K. Chesterton: “To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless.” 

You are the vessel that will bring love, forgiveness, faith and hope to everyone deserving – which is everyone!

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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Family Tree

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“Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.” -Anonymous

Today’s Gospel, once again, gives us the picture of Jesus preaching to a crowd when he is told: “Your mother and our brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” Jesus, I am sure, after a short pause, points to the crowd and says “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

We’ve seen movies, documentaries, and such, that will start with a picture of earth from space (imagine yourself on the space station). Then the camera comes closer and closer to earth, eventually focusing, perhaps on the United States…then your state…then your city…then your neighborhood. Now picture the focus on your home and family. There you are!

The question that has to come to mind when visualizing this beautiful panorama, and at the same time meditating on the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel is, “just who is my family?” If we cannot come to the conclusion that all that the universe holds (perhaps the unknown “other beings” out there?), all that the world holds, all that your country, state, city, and neighborhood hold – is without a doubt – your Family, then we must pray harder for that realization.

Re-read the quote at the start of this reflection and think about the root of this tree. What is that root? It is God. God is the root of all of humanity. Whether we believe, literally, in the story of Adam and Eve, or whether we conceive something else as the creation of Man, God is still the beginning. And he will be the end. In between, we, as individuals, branch out our lives in many directions. But, still, He is the strength of the roots of that mighty tree holding us all together as one family. Man or woman, we are all of the “Family of Man” –all of one humanity.

For us Christians, we must ground ourselves in Jesus and all that he taught us. For us Christians, today, it means that we must embrace everyone we meet as family.

We must love them, help them, support and give comfort. It’s a tall order when seen through that lens of the universe. We have to believe that it starts with the love of our immediate family which will eventually affect the lives of others. Mother Teresa once wrote: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” That’s a good starting point, but it cannot end there.

Unbelievers who what to dissuade us of the importance of Jesus and God in our lives, are, ultimately, fighting a futile battle. Because we know that Jesus will prevail in the end and that God will have the final word.  Following the Way of Jesus, and the Law of God, when lived faithfully, can have only one outcome – peace, justice and love for everyone. This truth has been ”rooted” in us since our conception. We must help everyone realize this, in the lives we lead.

For – “…whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

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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The Eternal Light of Hope

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In today’s Gospel, we have Jesus reading the Isaiah scroll in the synagogue. He finishes and boldly proclaims that he is the fulfillment of this passage. It is amazing enough that anyone remained to listen to him after that. But the Gospel goes on to say that all were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. Did you ever wonder: what were those gracious words? This recounting does not tell us. It only goes on to say that some remarked that he was the son of a carpenter, a lowly workman. But Jesus tells them that the passage is speaking of him, and all should take notice.

I thought long and hard at what these words may mean for us today, in light of our Christian Faith. Well, I’ve concluded that they are proclaiming to us the eternal light of Hope.

Can you put yourself into this passage? Are you one of the poor awaiting some glad tidings? Not just money/possession poor. Are you, perhaps, poor in faith or good works? Poor in compassion and empathy or meaning in life? Will you allow yourself to hear the glad tidings?

Are you one of the captives? Not just captivity of imprisonment, but captive to addiction, sin, lust, greed or any of the great sins. Will you allow yourself to be set free?

Are you one of the blind? Not physically blind, but blind to the need around you. Will you allow yourself to see?

Or are you one of the oppressed? Oppressed by your struggles, a bad marriage or trapped in self-centeredness. Will you allow yourself to be free of such oppression?

The Lord is proclaiming a year acceptable to the Lord. This “year” is your life, as long as it may be. And you are called to be set free of the bonds of this world, and to be steeped in the love of the Lord and his Hope for your life. Then, once you have let the Lord set you free, you become the anointed one who will bring the glad tidings, proclaim liberty, recover the sight of others and let the oppressed free. Do you see who these folks are? Can you empathize with the plight of those still struggling? You can help them.  Even in the midst of your journey to this freedom in hope, you can extend your help to others.

God’s Son is the vessel of Hope we all need for this world to be free of all that oppresses it. Hold out your hands, take His, and see the miracle of the glow of Hope that will surround you. Jesus will not let you down if your heart is open.

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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In Christ, All Will Be Well

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A voice was heard in Ramah,
sobbing and loud lamentation;
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she would not be consoled,
since they were no more.

One could have mixed feelings on today’s Feast of the Holy Innocents, the children slaughtered by Herod in an attempt to eliminate the Christ child, whom Herod believed was a threat to his throne. Herod did this out of fear and greed. He was so obsessed with the possibility that anyone might overthrow him as king of the Jews, that even a child had to be killed.

Why so much bloodshed? Not just then, perpetrated by Herod, but even today in the many children killed by famine, by dictators, by poverty and neglect, by abortion, by terrorists and gun-wielding perpetrators of our mass school shootings. These children are lost because of fear, greed, mental illness, indifference, selfishness, or pure evil.

We are just three days past the celebration of the Incarnation of our Lord. Only three days into the joyous season of Christmas when we honor this Feast of the first martyrs for Christ. In the midst of our lights, glitter, presents and family gatherings, music and dancing, scripture reminds us of such sorrow. I find the words of today’s Gospel, recounting a passage from Jeremiah, some of the most heart-wrenching words: “…and she would not be consoled, since they were no more.” It can be said of any of the situations described above.

And how do we make sense of it?

We need to remember who is in charge. God is in charge. We cannot make sense of any of the suffering of this world if we do not have faith. Faith that God will, in the end, make it all right. It may not seem like much consolation, but it is a great consolation. We don’t have to make things OK in our world or anyone else’s. We need only to live righteously, and to turn to Jesus, to intercede for us to heal our hurts and give us the strength of faith to remain strong in the truth that God is in charge, and that, in the end, he will right every wrong ever committed. That is the essence of his mercy, as well as his justice.

In this season of beauty and charm, joyous hope of peace and love, unite any hurt and pain you carry with you today; unite it with the sorrow of the loss of these little ones and take it to the Lord. Through his Incarnation, death, and Resurrection, he has given us the path to peace. In Christ, all will be well!

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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Give Comfort to my People

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Isaiah’s beautiful passage is full of meaning. After a long and dark exile in Babylon, God directs Isaiah to tell His people that it is almost over. God will be there to expiate their sins, bring them out of captivity and “give comfort.” I love this reading.  Throughout all of human history, there have been periods of great trial. We look for comfort and do not find it. We look for a way out and do not find it. We stumble our way through life, looking for a path forward, and do not find it.

Perhaps we are looking in the wrong places.

Advent is the beautiful season of anticipation of the Lord’s coming. Have we not yet realized that this four-week season is our path out of darkness? If only we would open our eyes and see. See that the comfort we long for can be ours if we pay attention to God’s call to meet his Son and to see our way forward.

There is so much, today that I hate about Advent. It has become the season of shopping and gross consumerism. Pay attention to the ads. “The Twelve Days shopping at (name of store here).” Or, the “Twelve Gifts of Christmas at (name of store here).” We are bombarded from even before Halloween. I have disagreements with my family and friends about the real “Twelve Days of Christmas”…which should be the Evening of Dec. 24th through Epiphany. This is the Christmas Season. Not October 15th – December 25th, and then it’s all over. Trees are on the curbs; decoration disappear from the stores and our home, parties are suspended — I find this to be so sad, and personally, very troubling. Rush here, rush there; check off our list of items to be purchased; make everything equal so as not to offend anyone; outdoing each other in outdoor decorations and lights. Oh my! Where is Jesus in all of this? He is buried somewhere under the packages! And no, he will not appear to us on our doorstep in an Amazon package. Jesus must be welcomed into our hearts. Only we can make that happen.

Isaiah wants us to know that the darkness of this time of year is not lost on the date set for the celebration of the Incarnation. The long and dark days of winter are lit by the Light of Christ coming into the world. It should mean to us, if we pay attention, that our personal exiles can be ended by the comfort of the coming of Christ, here to lead us to safety. This season of anticipation also teaches us that Christ stays with us. His life from manger to grave to resurrection – or lives from birth to death to eternal glory.

If you haven’t yet started, I encourage you to begin the journey to Christmas with a heart to knowing Jesus better, to welcome him into your homes and families with the attention he deserves. Christmas will be a much more beautiful celebration for you. God loves you. He sent his Son to light your way. He gives comfort.

“The day of the Lord is near: behold, he comes to save us.”

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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Give Comfort to my People

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Isaiah’s beautiful passage is full of meaning. After a long and dark exile in Babylon, God directs Isaiah to tell His people that it is almost over. God will be there to expiate their sins, bring them out of captivity and “give comfort.” I love this reading.  Throughout all of human history, there have been periods of great trial. We look for comfort and do not find it. We look for a way out and do not find it. We stumble our way through life, looking for a path forward, and do not find it.

Perhaps we are looking in the wrong places.

Advent is the beautiful season of anticipation of the Lord’s coming. Have we not yet realized that this four-week season is our path out of darkness? If only we would open our eyes and see. See that the comfort we long for can be ours if we pay attention to God’s call to meet his Son and to see our way forward.

There is so much, today that I hate about Advent. It has become the season of shopping and gross consumerism. Pay attention to the ads. “The Twelve Days shopping at (name of store here).” Or, the “Twelve Gifts of Christmas at (name of store here).” We are bombarded from even before Halloween. I have disagreements with my family and friends about the real “Twelve Days of Christmas”…which should be the Evening of Dec. 24th through Epiphany. This is the Christmas Season. Not October 15th – December 25th, and then it’s all over. Trees are on the curbs; decoration disappear from the stores and our home, parties are suspended — I find this to be so sad, and personally, very troubling. Rush here, rush there; check off our list of items to be purchased; make everything equal so as not to offend anyone; outdoing each other in outdoor decorations and lights. Oh my! Where is Jesus in all of this? He is buried somewhere under the packages! And no, he will not appear to us on our doorstep in an Amazon package. Jesus must be welcomed into our hearts. Only we can make that happen.

Isaiah wants us to know that the darkness of this time of year is not lost on the date set for the celebration of the Incarnation. The long and dark days of winter are lit by the Light of Christ coming into the world. It should mean to us, if we pay attention, that our personal exiles can be ended by the comfort of the coming of Christ, here to lead us to safety. This season of anticipation also teaches us that Christ stays with us. His life from manger to grave to resurrection – or lives from birth to death to eternal glory.

If you haven’t yet started, I encourage you to begin the journey to Christmas with a heart to knowing Jesus better, to welcome him into your homes and families with the attention he deserves. Christmas will be a much more beautiful celebration for you. God loves you. He sent his Son to light your way. He gives comfort.

“The day of the Lord is near: behold, he comes to save us.”

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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Gratitude is the Memory of the Heart

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“Gratitude is the memory of the heart,” an old French proverb by Jean-Baptiste Massieu.

What a fitting thought for today, Thanksgiving Day, when all of the Scripture readings center on thankfulness and giving glory to God.

I know we’ve all heard, many times, that we should be thankful and show gratitude throughout our lives. Whether it is as simple as “thank you” for a gift received or as dramatic as the heartfelt prayer when a miracle has happened in our lives, both can be emotional experiences. And, I dare say, would impress themselves on our hearts in memory, to be often recalled for someone’s kindness, or in God’s goodness to us.

Let’s look at gratitude differently today. I know, you will be saying prayers of thanks at your table feast, and may even go around the table, each person saying that for which they are thankful. And that is a good thing, always. But what about the gratitude that is impressed on the heart, the “memory” of God, if you will? Do you believe that God is grateful for you? Do you believe that God is thankful that he created you, no matter who you are? Better yet, can you believe that God is thankful for your existence?

I won’t answer that question for you. Instead, I challenge you to ponder it today as you celebrate with family and friends. The simple concept of God being grateful for us. I am in no way suggesting that your gratitude to God for the good things in your life should be set aside, and you no longer need to praise God, but rather as an exercise in understanding his love for all of his creation. Because when you do this, you will realize that it is not just us who have simple, but good lives with family and friends around us, but rather, his love must also be realized by those who do not have the pleasures of family or a place to celebrate today. Regardless of where we are in this world, God will be grateful for having made us because the memory of us, impressed on his heart, cannot be denied. Should you need a visual reminder of this, think only of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so full and burning with love for us because his Father created us, and their capacity for love knows no bounds. No matter who you are, you have a cherished place in this world. You reside on God’s heart.

“Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.”

-Psalm 145: 2-3

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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Every Sinner Has A Future

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“Every Saint Has A Past – Every Sinner A Future”
-Oscar Wilde

Let me tell you a story I heard on NPR’s Story Corps project, which is a collection of stories taped around the United States, told by real people and archived in the Library of Congress. A snapshot, you could say, of life in the USA. This story is about a woman whose teenage son was killed by another teenager in the heat of an argument. The young man was tried as an adult and sent to prison. While in prison, he spent a lot of time reflecting on what he had done and he was convinced that he needed the forgiveness of the mother whom he left without a son. After some time in prison, he started writing to her, asking her to forgive him. But he also asked if she would come to visit him. The woman would not. She could not find it in her heart to forgive and, in spite of the encouragement of her family and friends, refused to visit him in prison. However, after much time had passed, she finally relented and set up a prison visit. She fully expected to see a young teenaged boy there. She was very much taken aback when she saw before her a man, a man showing the effects of his incarceration. No longer a child. Her heart melted, and she took him into her arms in an embrace of understanding love. In that instant, she recounted in tears; her son was back.

When the man was paroled, she was there to meet him, took him into her home and helped him to adjust and to get a job. He, in turn, took her as his mother and did all he could to help her in her aging years. Over time, he bought a house only a few blocks from hers and continued to be her friend and her “son.”

I cried when I heard this story.

“There will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.”

Today’s Gospel has the ever-famous story about the shepherd who would not give up looking for the one sheep separated and lost from the herd. We’ve heard this many, many times. And did you ever wonder if it was worth it for the shepherd to spend so much time, travel so far, and, we presume, neglect the rest of the herd, to find this one sheep? Did you ever wonder? Just what was so special about this sheep. Or, perhaps, what is the difference if one little coin is misplaced? It was a lot of work for the woman to deep clean her house until she found it—found it with great rejoicing.

Look at the context of today’s parables. Jesus was dining with and enjoying the company of the, supposed, sinners of the day. At least in the eyes of the Pharisees. Tax collectors! Who were they that the Rabbi should spend time with them? Yes, just who were they? In reality, they are us!

How often have we not given another person a second chance? How often have we kept people locked in the boxes of their sinful past, not willing to recognize where they are now on their road to salvation.  I dare say it happens a lot to all of us. We might even think ourselves as the righteous and forget that we, ourselves, are sinners. We don’t like being defined by our pasts but want to be seen for who we are now. Repentant, changed, and ready to move on within our families, with society at large. Re-read the parables. Jesus has forgiven, has offered us a new life. We must do the same.

I encourage you to reflect for a time today on Oscar Wilde’s quote. I’ve heard it used by Chesterton, by Thomas Merton and many other spiritual leaders when emphasizing that no one is perfect. Even the Saints struggled. But there is redemption for all available through the loving embrace of The Shepherd. Rest on his shoulders and give everyone, as well as yourself, a chance.

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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Taking It To Your Grave

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Let me share this quote with you. I’m paraphrasing, as I can’t remember the exact wording. See if you can guess who might have said this. Hint – it’s a famous person: “You can take all your things and stuff them into your pockets and take them to your grave. Or, you can take your stuff and do some good with it”. Think about it for a minute.

How many pairs of shoes do you have? How many purses or ties? How much is stuffing your closets to overflowing, doing no one any good because you can’t even keep track of all you have? Think of the parable of the rich man with the bountiful harvest. Instead of distributing the excess of his harvest to those in need, he built bigger barns to hold it all. Why? Because it was his!

How many of us have purchased larger homes because we outgrew the old ones because of more and more stuff; or rented storage units because our closets and garages were overflowing? When was the last time you de-cluttered and took things to the local mission, or to Goodwill or the Salvation Army?

I can answer for myself — it’s been awhile.

For what are we saving it all? A good question to ask ourselves when we can’t find what we want for the overabundance in our storage spaces. I do know that when I have given away the excess, I find I don’t miss any of it. What does that say about me? Things rule our lives. I remember someone, sometime, saying: The things you own eventually own you. How true.

Now I don’t mean to rag on anyone who has a lot. I’m sure most people work very hard for what they have and have every right to enjoy the fruits of that labor. But it can be taken to excess without any thought of others who don’t have that blessing. We must be careful and be ready to share with others.

The rich man in today’s Gospel parable says we should “…rest, eat, drink and be merry!” because of all the goods we have stored up for many years to come. Perhaps, instead, we should listen to the rather harsh and  ominous, but very true, words of Jesus: ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’ Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God.”

Just what does matter to God? You might re-read Matthew 25: 31-46. This section of the Gospel lays out how you store up riches for heaven. Your exercise for this week is to try to identify where you might be lacking and begin to act on Jesus’ warning. And, of those blessings, we can surely build all the extra storage barns we need in our hearts and souls to hold them all until heaven beckons.

Now, back to the quote at the top of this reflection. It was by Hoda Kotb, NBC Today show co-anchor. Wise women!

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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Ask, Seek, Knock, Find… What?

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Quite a few years ago while working with RCIA inquirers, I have a vivid memory of a young woman who never prayed. She was self-sufficient, a small business owner – a very confident and intelligent woman. Her participation with RCIA was in preparation to marry a Catholic man. I believe at the start of her journey it was only to make her fiancé’s family happy that there would be a “Catholic” wedding – Mass and Holy Communion.

In our sessions, we often spoke of the need for/the power of prayer. She didn’t believe in prayer. Her take on it was that people who prayed are weak individuals who rely on prayer to relieve their sense of insecurity, that all individuals should be self-sufficient and confident enough in their lives that prayer shouldn’t be necessary. This was a challenge for our RCIA team. How does one convince someone of the need for prayer when, to that person, prayer is so foreign?

As time went on many of the team, as well as her fellow RCIA members, spoke of their prayer and tried very hard to convince her that relying on God, relying on Our Savior for what we seek, is a good thing. Were all their prayers answered? Certainly not. At least not in the way this young woman would have expected. What you pray for is what you get! If you don’t get what you ask for, why pray?

Sometime later, near the end of her time with us, there was a crisis in her life. Without going into detail, she discovered that she, during this crisis, had nothing to support her – her self-reliance and confidence would not pull her through the situation. It wasn’t enough. She prayed! She found strength. And she found it even though she was unfamiliar with prayer, but she learned enough from those with whom she journeyed, that her first foray in the spiritual realm of prayer became comfortable. She was then able to share that with us and thanked the others for all she had learned. It was quite the year leading up to her reception into the Church at Easter.

Jesus says in today’s Gospel:  “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Do we take him literally? Yes, we should. Perhaps what we are seeking is good for us, perhaps not. Perhaps we are knocking on the right door, perhaps not. Perhaps we are asking for something necessary to our lives, perhaps not. But who makes these distinctions? God does! He is waiting for you to SEEK Him, and him alone; He is waiting for you to ASK to be one with his divine will; He is waiting for you to KNOCK on the door of the Sacred Heart of his Son. Therein will you find your needs fulfilled.

Prayer is never a futile effort. Our all-knowing, all-loving God, will only give us what is good for us according to his perfect will, and we must trust that he knows best. We should never stop seeking, asking or knocking because that effort increases our trust in God, strengthens our faith. His first gift to us will be his love. The rest will follow once we recognize that what we are receiving from God is exactly what we need, even if it was not what we imagined.

Our prayer does not change God, nor does it change his mind. Prayer changes us. Prayer brings us closer to God’s will, closer to our Savior’s comfort and love. When the rest of the world puts up its big hand to keep us at bay, God never will. He will listen, and he will show us how to seek what is needed, knock on the right doors and ask for the blessings that will lead us to his eternal presence.

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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Acting On The Word

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“My mother and my brothers are
those who hear the word of God and act on it.

Jeremiah, chapter 31:33 says “I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts.”  Jeremiah reminds us quite clearly that God writes his “law,” his Word, upon our hearts. It happened when we were created, like it or not, and becomes a consciousness as we mature and interact with our Creator. It means that the way we conduct our lives, the way we make decisions, and the information we use to influence those decisions is something that comes from within. This is where the truth and basis of all decision making comes from. Not the whims of today’s culture, nor the “feel good” attitude of the many, but rather from deep within the heart of a human being striving to maintain a relationship with the only Being that can truly impress upon the human heart what is true. All else is baseless. But then, we have to consciously decide to live by that truth, to live by the Word of God. And that means both when we interact with others, or when we do what we do in the anonymous “alone” time that no one else sees. That is the real test of who we are.

The truth of how we live our lives will only ring true to others if the basis for our responses comes from what we choose to do when no one is looking. It comes when the face we have to answer to is the one we see in the mirror each day and the heart we have to answer to each day is the heart we meet in prayer.

At the beginning of any Gospel reading, we perform a gesture that is based only on tradition, nothing purely liturgical. We sign ourselves on the forehead, lips and over the heart with the prayer: “May the Word (Law) be ever in my mind; forever on my lips and take root in my heart.” The words may be slightly different for some, but the purpose is the same, to impress on us that God is speaking to us and we must take to heart, to live out, what we hear. The real difference from one person to another will be whether we live true to God’s Law not only when being witnessed, but also when we are alone.

Ask yourself today if what you do when alone is true to what you do when with others: in prayer, when surfing the net, when choosing reading materials or TV shows, and so much more. Do your choices reflect the truth of God’s Law?

A useful exercise is to make a chart: column 1) What do I need to change? Column 2) How will I make that change?  List the areas that you know need to change when chosen in the hidden time no one else sees. Determine where to start to become who you were meant to be. And don’t forget that some of these attempts at change may need the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Through this exercise, you will become the mother, brother, sister, and friend of Jesus. He waits to start a relationship with you or to deepen the friendship you already have. It is a glorious thing!

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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When Forgetting Something Is A Good Thing

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He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.“ The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the
woman “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

We all hate when we forget things…sometimes as quickly as walking from one room to the next, then pondering why it is we entered that room. A mind is a wondrous place that can remember the oldest, tiniest event, but in the present can forget the simplest intent to get something from the next room.

And how annoyed we get with ourselves!

But when is it a good thing to be forgetful? Jeremiah 31, we are told that “God will forget their evildoing and remember their sin no more”.  God, in the presence of the penitent heart, will forget in that instant, the confessed sin. We are free in that very moment to walk away and start the next moments of our life with a clean heart…provided, of course, that our confession was true and sincere. If so, then that feeling of freedom comes from the certainty that God will no longer rebuke us for what we’ve done – because he just won’t remember!

It is a delightful paradox that the omniscient God can forget. On the one hand, He knows everything. He counts the stars and names each one. He numbers our comings and goings and keeps count of our tears. He marks the sparrow’s fall. He numbers the hairs of our head. And yet He forgets those sins that have been confessed and forsaken. If we repeat the same sin, because of our human weakness, God will not say to us, What? Again?” Instead, he will once more listen to our penitent heart and say, “Walk away, and sin no more, I’ve forgotten already”.

Alright, so we’ve had our sins not only forgiven but forgotten. We’ve accepted the gift for ourselves. But is it not a convention to share gifts? To give to someone else that which we have received? Yep! And therein lies the heart of the difficulty with the forgetting that goes hand in hand with the forgiving. If we find it easy to forgive, we will often find it nearly impossible to forget. Relationships can be restored, but fighting the temptation to continually bring up, mull over or let the past sin now forgiven cloud those relationships. And that includes our relationship with God.

We must believe that our sins will no longer be thrown in our faces by the God who loves us, therefore we may no longer throw back to those we love, the sins they have also had forgiven and forgotten by our loving God.

In reality, the forgetting is often the more difficult part of this relational love. In reality, we all continue to fail in our attempts to revive and sustain a relationship damaged by hurt. And this goes two ways…with those who have hurt us and with those whom we have hurt.

Jesus could read the heart of this weeping, repenting woman who recognized that her salvation was in Him, and she would follow him anywhere for the freedom and forgiveness she could feel in her heart. “…and I will remember their sin no more” and “Go in peace” have to be some of the most beautiful and comforting words from the heart of our God. Take them into your heart and “pay it forward!”

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.