Care of Creation
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Eclipse of Faith

Sometimes it can feel like God is not near to us when we pray. We all know what that feels like. But the two most important aspects of prayer, I believe, are honesty and consistency. We should always be honest with God and no matter how we feel in the moment we should approach God with consistency. Even if we do not feel God, we can be sure that He is there and He still loves us.

As Diocesan Publications’ Solutions Evangelist, Tommy is committed to showing parish and diocesan staffs how to use our communication tools to their best advantage.  He has worked for years in various, youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. As an expert on Catholic communication, Tommy uses his parish and diocesan experiences to help you make your ministry effective. To bring Tommy to your parish or for general inquiry, contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

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Looking At Others With Love

Now more than ever we need to look at all people with the love and respect they deserve. But how do we do this practically? The gospel for the day gives us some tips.

“The only adequate response to another human person is love.” ~St. John Paul II

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Empathy and Love: Lessons from Christ to Peter

We all want to be welcoming to those outside of the faith, especially to people who visit our Parishes. But being welcoming is about much more than just giving out a Church registration form. We have to lead with empathy and love.

Watch the video below for some important lessons from John 21:15.

Change LentAs Diocesan Publications’ Solutions Evangelist, Shultz is committed to showing parish and diocesan staffs how to use our communication tools to their best advantage.  As an experienced speaker on all things Catholic, he has addressed topics such as the Sacraments, chastity, and boldly living the Catholic faith.  Shultz also served as director of youth and young adult ministries for the Diocese of Baker, OR. 

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The Ascension: Going Home

Sister Wendy Beckett is a Catholic hermit who lives in England. She also had a long-running BBC television show on art, that drew a large and delighted audience. Since today is Ascension Thursday (and still a holy day of obligation in parts of the world), I thought we could listen to Sister Wendy’s thoughts on Duccio’s Appearance on the Mountain in Galilee, the painting that accompanies this blog post.

[The painting] shows Jesus before he makes any movement upward. He is speaking with that unearthly authority that so riveted all who heard him. It is their word that will convert the waiting nations. Is it they, up to now only followers, listeners to Jesus, who are now to take the pulpit and teach others, baptize others, do for them what Jesus has done in their own lives…

Jesus has longed for this day…[there] is the quiet statement, made in prayer to the Father, “I am coming to you.” Coming to the Father has been the driving force of Jesus’ life. That is where he is at home, that is where he belongs.

Those words give us pause. Of course Jesus must have been, in essence, homesick. How weary He must have been of His mortal body, a body that was fully divine, but also fully human. Even more, He was separated for so long from His Father, a Father with whom He is joined in an unimaginable way. Indeed: He wanted to go home!

Now, the Apostles must have left that mountain downcast. Their Lord and Master, who miraculously rose from the dead, was now gone … and not returning. Yes, He promised to send His Spirit upon them, but they must have felt great loss.

However, underneath that very understandable human grief, there was something else: joy.

Yes, joy. Why? Because Christ’s Ascension solidified their belief that Heaven awaited them as well.

In a sermon to commemorate today’s solemnity St. Leo the Great said: “Today we are not only made possessors of Paradise but with Christ we have ascended, mystically but also really, to the highest Heavens and have won through Christ a grace more wonderful than the one we had lost.”

The Ascension strengthens and nourishes our hope of attaining Heaven. It invites us always to lift up our heart, as the preface of the Mass says, and seek the things that are above. Our hope is very great because Christ himself has gone to prepare a dwelling place for us.

Most of us know what it is like to say a final good-bye to someone we love. Our grief can be overwhelming! But when we are assured that our loved one died a holy death, there is also joy. We trust God’s mercy and love; we pray that our loved one is now home with God, free from the pain of this mortal life.

It is hard to imagine the Ascension. It stretches the limits of our imagination as to how Jesus rose from the grass and rocks of that mountain top, enveloped in a cloud that melted into a vast sky. What is not hard to imagine is how the Apostles left that mountain: saddened, but filled with hope and joy. Their Lord, whom they loved, was now home where He belonged, and that home awaited them as well.

Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God,
and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving,
for the Ascension of Christ your Son
is our exaltation,
and, where the Head has gone before in glory,
the Body is called to follow in hope.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

divine mercy
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6 Things You Need To Know About Divine Mercy Sunday

In the year 2000, St. John Paul II established Divine Mercy Sunday, to be celebrated the Sunday following Easter. Even with nearly 2 decades of celebration, many of us still aren’t quite sure what this celebration is all about. Here is a quick primer:

  1. Divine Mercy Sunday is based on the revelations received by a Polish nun, Sr. Faustina Kowalska (now St. Faustina.) A devout nun, St. Faustina had very little formal education, but as Jesus revealed himself to her, He asked that she record His words. She dutifully kept journals. One revelation was:

    My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which graces flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy.

  2. At St. Faustina’s canonization, St. John Paul said that she was meant to remind the world of the merciful love of God. He also said was called by Christ to spread devotion to the image of Divine Mercy (which was revealed to her), and she was meant to begin “the apostolic movement of the Divine Mercy which undertakes the task of proclaiming and entreating God’s mercy for the world and strives for Christian perfection.”
  3. Jesus told St. Faustina: “My Heart overflows with great mercy for souls, and especially for poor sinners…[I]t is for them that the Blood and Water flowed from My Heart as from a fount overflowing with mercy. For them I dwell in the tabernacle as King of Mercy.”
  4. The popular prayer, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, is prayed on ordinary rosary beads. You can learn how here.
  5. The image of Jesus, known as Divine Mercy, was revealed to St. Faustina. He appeared with rays radiating from His Sacred Heart, and then told Sr. Faustina (who had no art training!) to paint this image, including the words, “Jesus, I trust in you.” He also promised that those who venerated the image would not perish.  “By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls. It is to be a reminder of the demands of My mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no avail without works.”
  6. Here in the U.S., there is a Divine Mercy Shrine in Stockbridge, MA, which is cared for by the Congregation of Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Originally a Polish congregation, they are best known for spreading the message of Divine Mercy.

It is fitting that as we continue to joyfully celebrate the Easter season, we take time to remember the merciful love that Jesus has for each of us. This year, (if you haven’t already) make the Divine Mercy image a part of your home. It is a wonderful reminder that there is no end to the mercy Christ has for each of us.

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Holy Week: Open Your Heart To Christ

Diocesan Publication’s Tommy Shultz gives us a fresh perspective on Holy Week. As a “mystery man” shows up in the Palm Sunday readings, Shultz asks what we can learn from him about the Holy Eucharist. As we begin our Holy Week, the reflection here might give you a new way of understanding the Mass.

Change LentAs Diocesan Publications’ Product Evangelist, Shultz is committed to showing parish and diocesan staffs how to use our communication tools to their best advantage.  As an experienced speaker on all things Catholic, he has addressed thousands of teens and young adults on topics such as the Sacraments, chastity, and boldly living the Catholic faith. Driven by his passion for Theology of the Body, Tommy studied at the Theology of the Body Institute and has spoken at numerous Theology of the Body conferences. He served as a missionary of purity, speaking to over 20 thousand youth about the message of purity across the state of Pennsylvania. He is a founder of the Corpus Christi Theology of the Body campus organization at Franciscan University. Shultz also served as director of youth and young adult ministries for the Diocese of Baker, OR.To book Tommy for an event or for further information please visit www.tommy-shultz.com.

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Throwing Stones At Obedience

My preadolescents love to challenge my parental authority. If I request they pick up the toys littered all over the basement floor or wash the dirty dishes, they respond, “Why should I have to do that? Who are you to tell me to get to work?”

“I’m your mother,” I say. “Now please do what I’ve asked. Obey.”

Is this how Jesus must have felt in today’s Gospel, like He always having to explain and defend Himself to the unbelieving crowds who questioned His authority?

Jesus says to the people, “Whoever keeps my word will never see death.”

And the people respond, “Now we are sure that you are depressed, that you are possessed. Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died, or the prophets, who died? Who do you make yourself out to be?”

With patience, Jesus tells the people: “I am the Son of God, who is our Father. I know God and I keep his commandments….amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM.”

The people responded by throwing stones at Jesus.

In the same way, when we direct our children to follow our commands because we know what’s best for them, they may balk. They may, like the people did to Jesus, even throw proverbial stones. But let us follow Jesus’s example and not give up. Let us not lose sight of the vision, of directing our children to heaven, even amidst their protest or wayward attitudes. Let us have confidence that, like Jesus, we really do know what’s best for them.

Lord, how am I like the people who threw stones at Jesus?

Lord, today help me abandon my preadolescent tendencies. Help me trust that the one directing me is the God of the universe, our Savior, and our King.

 

obedienceColleen Duggan, wife and mother of six children, is a freelance writer for various Catholic publications. She blogs at www.colleenmurphyduggan.com, about life as an imperfect mother to many. [Today’s reflection is used with permission by Catholicmom.com.]

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Who Do You See?

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke tell a more or less chronological account of the public life of Jesus. But John, well, John is different. It’s mystical and full of symbols. It’s a beautiful and astounding look at the Lord.

Today, Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees, and they are having a really hard time understanding Him, seeing from His point of view.

He said to them, “You belong to what is below,
I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I do not belong to this world.
That is why I told you that you will die in your sins.
For if you do not believe that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
So they said to him, “Who are you?”
Jesus said to them, “What I told you from the beginning.
I have much to say about you in condemnation.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I heard from him I tell the world.”
They did not realize that he was speaking to them of the Father. – Jn 8:23-17

Since we know who Jesus is (the Son of the God, the second Person of the Most Holy Trinity), we have an advantage over the Pharisees here. They are only able to think in earthy terms. They have a narrow notion of who and what the Messiah will be, and Jesus isn’t it. They cannot see what is right in front of them.

It’s easy to scoff at them  (“Dumb bunnies! How could they miss that this was the Messiah??”) But we do exactly the same thing. We miss what is right in front of us.

I have a friend who is an amazing nature photographer. She sends me pictures of flowers waiting to burst open, birds posed in flight, a tiny insect making its way through a vast bed of greenery. Her vision of nature is detailed and artistic. While I know how to work a camera, I completely miss what she sees. It’s like she has another dimension of sight that I don’t have.

How often do we, like the Pharisees, ignore what is in front of us? Usually it’s because of pride; we think we already know everything. We are “better than.” We don’t speak that language. God the Father puts exactly the same thing in front of us that He has put in front of every saint in history … and we are still profoundly confused, proud, blind to the Truth.

Jesus has a singular vision: the will of the Father. He is focused only on that, despite all that goes on around Him as He carries out the Father’s will. We cannot see we exactly as he sees, but He invites us to try. Pope Benedict XVI (writing as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger):

Yes, you can see God. Whoever sees Christ sees him…

For the next question is now (for all of post-apostolic Christianity, at least): How can you see Christ and see him in such a way that you see the Father at the same time? …

The seeing occurs in following after, Following Christ as his disciple is a life lived at the place where Jesus stands, and this place is the Passion. In it, and nowhere else, is his glory present.

What does this demonstrate? The concept of seeing has acquired an unexpected dynamic. Seeing happens through a manner of living that we call following after. Seeing occurs by entering into the Passion of Jesus. There we see, and in him we see the Father also. From this perspective the words of the prophet quoted at the end of the Passion narrative of John attain their full greatness: “They shall look on him whom they have pierced” (Jn 19:37)

When we “follow after” Christ, when we become His disciples, when we pick up our Cross and pursue Him: we shall see. We need to stop questioning, interrogating Jesus like the Pharisees in today’s Gospel. Today, Jesus answers the question, “Who are you?” Let us see Him clearly, with eyes of faith.

 

EH headshotElise Hilton is an author, blogger and speaker. Her role at Diocesan Publications is Editor & Writer with the Marketing Team. She has worked in parish faith formation and Catholic education for over 25 years. A passionate student of theology, Elise enjoys sharing her thoughts on parish communication, the role of social media in the Church, Franciscan spirituality and Catholic parenting. To enquire about booking her as a speaker, please contact her at ehilton@diocesan.com.

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Jesus: Embodiment of Truth

Today’s readings challenge us to confront our tendencies toward unbelief and the role that belonging to a group may play in those tendencies.   Although we may wish to define ourselves distinctly as individuals, we are also infused with a deep desire for belonging.  We are wired for community.  While that desire is good, it can also get us into deep confusion when the group loses its way.  In that sense, we are very much like sheep:  we need a shepherd to rescue us.

In the first reading, Moses is that shepherd.  With the benefit of hindsight, we can look with wonder at our predecessors and their willingness to embrace an idol that is so clearly unworthy of worship and unable to deliver the good that they desire. Given the preceding narrative of miraculous deliverance from captivity, their decision makes no sense at all.  But somehow, we can also identify with their bad decisions and their resulting plight, which puts them in the soup together.

All such journeys begin with a single step, and sometimes those steps take us where we do not want to go.  Maybe they became distracted and bored. They got a little carried away.  But it did not take too long — “yada, yada, yada” — before they end up “depraved”.  That is a strong word.  We do not like to think of ourselves in that way, as it sounds hopelessly disordered, beyond remedy.  Fortunately, that is not the case.

The gospel reminds us that even the religious folk, who keep from getting carried away at all cost, have their own problems with unbelief.  Jesus’ discourse about testimony and faith reminds these people that they are not so far above their predecessors as they may think.  The record is full of evidence, but they are not able (or willing) to see it.  Again, with the benefit of hindsight, we know they are missing something.  But their plight is ours, too. Even with a “good” life, the comfort of our own paradigms can keep us from recognizing our own flaws.  Here, too, the desire to belong can sometimes keep us from recognizing the truth.

While our human dignity depends on the special identity and giftedness that each of us possess, our faith depends on reconciliation which brings us into a community.  Truth is the basis for real community, where love and belonging are real, too.  Jesus is the embodiment of that truth.  We need more of this in our lives.  And we need to be reminded (often, it seems) not to accept the inferior substitutes that we so readily embrace, which may seem to provide comfort, but cannot deliver what we really need.  In our Lenten journey, may we continue to be open to seeing anew the distractions that keep us from following Jesus and from real community.  Thanks be to God.

 

Edward A. Morse if a professor of law at Creighton University. He says, “My wife and I have five children. Two are Creighton alumni, two are Creighton students, and one is still at home with us. We live on the farm on which I was raised and continue to help operate part of it.  These agrarian roots influence our lives in various ways, and sometimes that influence can be seen in these reflections.” [This reflection is used with permission from Creighton University’s Online Ministries.]

amazed
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Be Amazed

We all wonder what God is like: is He some old white guy on a cloud? Is He a He? Does He have arms to hug me? Where is God and what’s He like? Today’s readings are bursting with information about God.

The readings begin with Isaiah. He’s telling the Jews that God is faithful: He is keeping the covenant He made so long ago with Abraham. God will be the God of Israel and they will be His people. Forever. No additions or subtractions, no fast-talking sales man pitch: forever. Isaiah even tells the people of Israel to rejoice, sing out! (And Isaiah is not really known for his light-heartedness.)

Psalm 145 is the responsorial psalm today. In just a few short lines we learn that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and kind. The Lord is compassionate, faithful, holy. Those that have fallen are gently lifted up by God. He is just and truthful, and He calls out the name of those near to Him.

Wow. This is our God. What an amazing and hopeful faith we have!

Finally, in the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks to the Jews. These are the same people Isaiah spoke to. They know about God’s covenant; it’s in the marrow of their bones. Their life centers on God and His laws and His plans for them. Jesus makes it clear that He is doing the work of God the Father. If the Jews want to know more about God, they need to look at Jesus.

For the Father loves the Son
and shows him everything that he himself does,
and he will show him greater works than these,
so that you may be amazed. (Jn 5:20)

“Amazed.” The Jews that Jesus were speaking to had no idea what “works” the Father was going to show. We do. Are we amazed? Are we astounded? Astonished? Do we wake up every morning rather dumbfounded at the blessings God has provided with us? Do we look upon our family and friends and are almost blown away by the love?

More importantly, do we enter into prayer and liturgy with amazement? Do we worship knowing that the unbelievable is believable – that God so loved us He sent His only Son to come among us, teach us, be a model for us, feed us His very Body and Blood, and ultimately take our sins upon Himself so as to destroy death?

Are we amazed?

Today, be amazed at God. Be amazed at Christ, Be amazed at the Holy Spirit. He is our God and He is amazing.

 

EH headshotElise Hilton is an author, blogger and speaker. Her role at Diocesan Publications is Editor & Writer with the Marketing Team. She has worked in parish faith formation and Catholic education for over 25 years. A passionate student of theology, Elise enjoys sharing her thoughts on parish communication, the role of social media in the Church, Franciscan spirituality and Catholic parenting. To enquire about booking her as a speaker, please contact her at ehilton@diocesan.com.

greatest in heaven
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The Greatest In Heaven

We are half-way through Lent – Ash Wednesday was three weeks ago!  So as we review these readings we see that they are providing us with teaching to ready our hearts for the extraordinary events related to Easter.

Throughout the readings today are the themes of wisdom and commandments and laws.  In the first reading from Genesis, Moses advises the Israelites (and us!) to follow the statutes and laws – that is the wise thing to do.  He emphasizes the wisdom and intelligence of this but, of course, it always comes down to our choice.  The decisions are always ours – we have been granted free will.  Of course, we don’t always reflect wisdom with our choices.  Too often we allow the daily temptations to influence us clouding the wisdom of better decisions.

The concept of free will has always fascinated me – why are we allowed to make such poor decisions?  Wouldn’t it be easier if we were “programed” to just make the right decisions?  Then . . . I thought of my children – grown adults now – but my desire is still that they make “right” decisions.  I’ve always wanted them to be guided toward those decisions but to come to them on their own.  I can give rules, share wisdom and experiences, but in the end the choice is theirs.  I would not want them to be robotic without the ability to think, to reason, to want to make the right decisions. So when I consider all of us as children of God, the same thoughts hold true.  It is much more meaningful to make the “right” decisions on my own just as it is to freely embrace God, to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior on my own volition than to be forced or coerced into those beliefs.  It is left to us to decide, knowing the consequences and rewards.

Our gospel is one that we heard on a Sunday a couple of weeks before Lent started. It continues the themes of following laws/commandments.  Jesus points out that He did not come to abolish the laws.  Rather He is here to fulfill the prophets.  He reviews our obligation to follow the commandments. Jesus warns us that those who break the commandments are called least in the kingdom of heaven as are those who cause others to do so.  Conversely, those who follow the commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. In the next few verses, Jesus explains this further. The challenging part for us now is that as Jesus explains the following of these, He takes it beyond the literal meaning.  Few of us will be guilty of killing another, however, who among us can say they have never been angry with another or treated them in a way that was harmful either physically or emotionally.

Jesus really ups the stakes in His discussion of the commandments as He provides guidance in directing us as to the handling of such situations.  Clearly, we are to atone by making amends to others.  I think about the angels’ proclamation of Peace on Earth – we frequently forget that it was concluded with toward people of good will.  So that is how we are to live: as men and women of good will – not being drawn into the myriad of temptations that await us every day. He advises us to control our bodies and to not allow some of our senses or actions to lead us to a sinful path.  His last admonition is to be truthful – Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one. This is in accord with what Moses said in the first reading to follow the statutes and directives While this reading is earlier in Matthew, it certainly lays the groundwork for when Jesus discusses the most important commandments – all of these rules and laws summarized in one phrase: Love your neighbor as yourself.  Such a simple phrase and one that challenges all of us and has since the beginning of time.  Even as we think of Jesus’ first statement in this reading about not coming to abolish the commandments, we can see that in the early writings and rules as found in Leviticus, we were commanded to . . . not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.

Bottom-line . . .  it hasn’t changed; that is still our directive!! Lent and our preparation for Easter is a perfect time to reflect upon this and give it a try!!

 

Author Nancy Shirley is  a grateful child of God, wife, mother, nana, and nursing professor. My husband and I met at church and have walked this extraordinary journey together experiencing CEC in 2004 and growing more committed to our beliefs.  In addition to my husband, I am blessed with a wonderful daughter and son, who in turn are blessed with wonderful spouses.  My son’s four children bring us all endless joy and delight. I am on the faculty at Creighton having taught nursing here from 1980-1989 and returning “home” in 2003 to teach nursing at all levels and to administer the undergraduate program. [Today’s reflection is used with permission from Creighton University.]

Art by Gwen Meharg.

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Now Is The Acceptable Time

[Beginning today, Diocesan Publications offers daily Lenten reflections from a variety of guest bloggers. To receive these in your mailbox, please fill out the “Subscribe” box below the post. May you have a blessed Lent! – Editor]

 

“Even now, says the Lord, “return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord, your God.” These words from the prophet Joel in today’s first reading stood out during my morning meditation, more specifically, the word, ‘heart.’

Clearly, the Lord wants us to surrender our “whole heart” to bring about radical conversion during our Lenten journey. Conversion happens individually, in community, and through the Sacraments. On Ash Wednesday “we assemble the elders and gather the children and infants.”  With hungry hearts we come together and acknowledge our sinfulness, “a clean heart create for me, O God and a steadfast spirit renew within me.”

Renewal, reconciliation and gratitude are essential elements in our relationship with Jesus and one another. As we sit with gratitude at the feet of the Master, His peace “will guard our hearts and minds” from the chaos of the world around us. At times, that chaos is even inside of us, yet our Father is always near calling to us, “harden not your heart.” During Lent, we are once again invited to go deeper into the silence of our hearts.

St. John of the Cross once said, “The Father spoke one Word, which was His Son, and this Word He always speaks in eternal silence and in silence it must be heard by the soul.” (Maxims on Love, in Collected Works) It takes great courage to enter into silence and ask the Holy Spirit to shine His light on the darkness in our heart; the darkness where temptation, brokenness and selfish desires reside.

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you,” says the Lord. So, we take one moment at a time, for this moment is all we really have. Our Lady will help undo the knots that bind us and lead us to deeper freedom through her Son Jesus.  

In today’s gospel, Christ shows us the way. “When you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”  

He repays with mercy that allows us moments of rejoicing, even as painful renewal may be stretching us to our human limits. His strength brings forth beautiful graces. For me, this has happened while kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament preparing for the Sacrament of Confession. The Holy Spirit opened my eyes to see how my sinful behavior had caused friction in a family relationship. With great love, my Father revealed this to me, so healing could begin. When we take the time to humble ourselves and listen, God is there not with condemnation, but love to celebrate each step, understanding that change takes time and requires patience – with Him and with ourselves.

We are a new creation in Christ, not defined by our sin, but by His love. Will we step outside our comfort zone to share our testimony so that others, too, may turn their hearts to Jesus and be set free?

Today and throughout this Lenten season, each one of us is being called to “Trust in Jesus even more,” as the late Father George Kosicki, CSB, wrote on a 3×5 note card for me years ago, on a spiritual retreat. Our Father stands daily at the door of our hearts, inviting us to enter into a deeper relationship with Him through Jesus’ Divine Mercy.

Now more than ever, the world needs Christ’s love within us. The Church gives us this special season to bring us back into right relationship with Him so we can go out to serve one another. “For he says: ‘In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you. Now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Lent is the time for our hearts to be made clean so that we can freely meet Jesus and others with greater love and less judgement. May we unite together in the Heart of Jesus, with renewed spirit and be ready for radical transformation on the journey ahead.

 

Amy Oatley is a wife, mother, and Secular Franciscan (OFS), passionate about social justice, advocating for the dignity of every human life. She encounters Christ through Prison and Jail Ministry in the Diocese of Grand Rapids and as a Sidewalk Advocate for Life. A journalist for the past thirty years, she is currently a freelance writer for FAITH Magazine and works at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. Her home parish is Our Lady of Consolation in Rockford, Michigan.