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Do You Want to be Well?

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The whole purpose of this liturgical season is to return to Jesus with our whole hearts. I don’t know about you, but when I picture my heart, it isn’t always pretty. I picture my heart with its scars, bruises, and sometimes it’s weariness. When I read Today’s Readings, I long to be that very sick old man.  That may sound funny, but I’m being completely honest. Jesus comes to him as he is ill and in a low place. Jesus says to him, “Do you want to be well?”. What does that sound like in your own ears? What is Jesus referring to as He states those words to you right now? “Do you want to be well?”. I hear those words and know that they are saturated in a tender love.  Those words come from a Man who wants your free will, He wants you to talk to Him about what you want. He wants to know if you want to be well.

What is wellness? Wellness is a state of being in good health.  We may think automatically about the health of our bodies when we hear this, but it’s even more than that.  It’s about the whole person. Jesus is asking about all of us. Do we want to be well in the health of our body? Do we want to be well in the health of our soul? My answer is a deep soul cry “yes”.  I long to be well, to be in great health, body and soul. Do you want that too? As we continue to read, we hear that Jesus tells Him to “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” The moment of a miracle. When I read this encounter, I realize that the opportunity for this miracle is based on a question and answer.  How often does Jesus pursue our hearts and yet we do not reply. How often does Jesus pursue us in asking, “Do you want to be well?”.

At the end of the story, Jesus found this old man healed in the temple area and said to Him, “Look, you are well; do not sin any more, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” Here in this simple phrase, we are given to opportunity to see very clearly the heart of Jesus.  Yes, in His words we can see the Sacred Heart of Jesus for what it is. It is a heart of complete love, protection, and care. Jesus advises this man whom he healed to sin no more. Why? Because He doesn’t want him to get hurt. When we look at the Ten Commandments as a list of forbidding rules, we may feel annoyed or imposed upon.  When we look at the Ten Commandments for what they truly are, we encounter the heart of Jesus. The whole reason God has given us the guidelines of the Ten Commandments is perfectly summed up in Jesus’ words, “so that nothing worse may happen to you.” Sin hurts us, breaks us down, wounds our hearts, relationships with others and with God Himself.  If you have a hard time understanding why you’re not supposed to do this or that, reflect on how it affects your body, soul, and relationship with God. Then you will know that Jesus just wants to keep you safe. He wants to know if you wish to be well and then he wants to keep you safe in that wellness forever.

What is this Scripture story calling us to? Well, I do know what makes my heart and soul well…It is the gift and Sacrament of Reconciliation.  The place we come to encounter the mercy of Jesus, the answer to His question. When we go to receive this sacrament we are saying, “Yes, I want to be well.”  It is in this sacrament that we are made well by His grace and forgiveness. We become white as snow and that scarred wounded heart starts to heal. As we leave the confessional, Jesus says to us, “Do not sin again, so that nothing worse may happen to you.” He wants us safe and safety lies in being in communion with Him.

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

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Bend Your Knee, Bow Your Head, and Pray

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Today’s readings are packed with beauty and symbolism. But, for me, it was easy to choose which Scripture I would use. It just has to be the Gospel, when the Lord gives us his prayer.

In the beginning, Jesus tells his disciples not to babble on in prayer as do the pagans. Have you ever found yourself doing this? Trying to find either the most effective words, or perhaps too many words to express to God your desires? Or, worse yet, using these words because we are not sincere in our prayer? I used to ramble on. It seemed to me I had to go on-and-on about what I was praying for. For example: when praying for a friend who, perhaps, was suffering from an illness, I’d go on forever saying things like “Help my friend, Lord. She is suffering from cancer and needs your strength and increased faith. Help her doctors to clearly discern her situation and treatment”…and then comes the blah, blah blah extras. As I’ve aged, and I have aged, these prayers now come down to: “Dear Lord, give strength to my friend. She needs you. Your will be done.” Because I’ve also learned, as I’ve aged, that Jesus’ statement that the Father knows what we need before we ask him is very true. But that should not stop us from asking. It is as healthy for us to ask for our own spiritual well-being as it is for the person for whom we are praying. Asking God, asking Jesus, on behalf of others, strengthens our faith and confirms our reliance on his graces.

But I also wanted to share with your something about this Lord’s Prayer – I want to share with you how it has affected me over the years. Of all the prayers we learned as children, or have encountered in the books read or reflections we share, the Lord’s Prayer is the one that will bring me to tears in an instant. How often I’ve attended the funeral of a friend, family member or acquaintance, been in total control of my emotions until we pray or sing the Lord’s Prayer. It is at that point I will break down. I can’t tell you how many times during Mass if I’ve been hurting either physically or emotionally, that the Our Father will bring me to tears – to the point that I can no longer say the words out loud. What causes this? I’m not sure. It could be because Jesus gave us the most simple, most perfect prayer we could say and, for me, connects me so closely with him and God. This prayer will always bring me into the Father’s loving arms.

It was no happenstance that Jesus starts the prayer with “Our Father.” There is, I believe, a purpose to this. In our world, as well as in Jesus’ time on earth, many could not connect with the image of a father. In his great wisdom, Jesus gave us God himself, his father, as our father, and we cannot discount this. If you need a father; you have one. And, in turn, if you need a mother, Jesus also gave us his mother, Mary, to give us strength and example.

When you find yourself trying to pray, and just cannot come up with the right words, stop looking. Just say the Lord’s Prayer. It is all you need when the thoughts and words don’t come to you. God reads your heart and will know what to do with your faithful prayer.

One has to be of a certain age, and I am, to remember a wonderful singer, Perry Como. Perry was a devout Catholic and, from all I’ve learned about him, a wonderful man. He never closed any of his TV specials without singing either the Ave Maria or the Lord’s Prayer, and I believe he was the best. This was, of course, in a time when entertainers were not vilified for, or afraid of, such things. I’m sharing with you today a YouTube clip of Perry singing the Our Father from one of his shows that aired in 1957! Please, find a quiet place, close your eyes and listen. It will bring you to tears, and hopefully, closer to Your Father.

God Bless.

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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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One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic

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As a part of Tom (mi esposo)’s discernment and formation for the diaconate, we have taken several classes on the Creed. So, when this last class came to the marks of the Church, I thought, “I’ve got this. I’ve taught this in CCD. I have them memorized. Bring it on.”

Then in “The Creed” by Berard L. Mathaler I read:

“The marks of the Church are first of all gifts, but they need to be cultivated and nurtured. On the day of Pentecost, before it even moved outside of the gates of Jerusalem, the Church was ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC, (emphasis is his), and much as a newborn is every inch a human being even before it begins to grow and develop its innate gifts. It is the Christian’s task to make the marks visible and recognizable.”

Wait? What?

In all of my years of professing the Creed, I always took this as a descriptor, not a responsibility. As God draws our own hearts’ back to himself this Lent, this puts an entirely new spin on my Lenten practices. Today’s readings spell out exactly how this is to look in practice in my life.

In order to make the marks of the Church visible to the world, to have them live in my whole heart and be manifested in my actions today, I need to not defraud or rob my neighbor, not only of their physical goods but of their inherent human dignity. I need to neither show partiality to the weak nor deference to the mighty; rather acknowledging each as a child of God, a brother or sister in Christ regardless of what they believe or do. I can’t spread slander among my kin nor stand idly by when my neighbor’s life is at stake. I might rush to help someone who is not physically safe, but do I stand by as others jeopardize their immortal lives? I can take no revenge nor bear a grudge against my fellow countrymen. That means all of my countrymen; the ones I agree with and the ones I don’t, the ones who were born here and the ones who came here in search of a better life. No revenge, I can’t talk them down, move against them or even bear a grudge towards them or even wish that I could.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells us that when we do all this, we do it for him and to him. He is present in each and every person we encounter, those we embrace and those from whom we turn away.

So whatever your Lenten practice this year, try to take it one step deeper, one step farther. If you are denying yourself some cherished thing, offer that sacrifice for the good of another. If you are seeking new practices, such as prayer or spiritual reading, reach out to someone else and invite them to join you. If you can’t give money as alms, give of yourself.

As we take this Lent to turn back to God with our whole heart, may our Lenten practices, guided by today’s readings help us to live up to our call to be a sign of the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church in an aching and divided world.

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

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Led by the Spirit

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In today’s reading, we hear that Jesus was led by the Spirit. Even Jesus, the Son of God, was led by the Holy Spirit, as we all should be. But I think we often let the more natural moments and distractions of our day to day distract us from the supernatural promptings of the Spirit.

This year for Lent I got tired of the typical “give something up” quips that people typically do. This isn’t to downplay anyone who is doing this, it just hasn’t been very effective for me in the past. This year I wanted to intentionally focus on the promptings of the Holy Spirit and being more aware of them when they happen throughout the day. I am trying this with 5 steps.

1. Prayer: Instead of planning on doing something huge like a daily holy hour or 15-decade rosary a day, I have decided to do 4 simple and attainable times of prayer throughout the whole day. This helps me to continually speak to God and also be attentive to the promptings of the Spirit in my life. Some examples are praying a morning offering and doing an examination of conscience at night.

2. Sacrifice: Again, instead of large sacrifices, I am doing 3 smaller ones throughout the day that break my will and remind me of the importance of sacrifice. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at nighttime. These can be as simple as giving up salt on meals or not snacking.

3. Meditation: This is one of the most important aspects of my Lenten journey this year. It includes taking 5 minutes to meditate on the daily scripture. Meditation is done more as speaking to a lover than just reading from scripture. As I read the bible I let my heart and the Spirit lead and the words are there for guidance. I look up every so often and actually speak to God about what I am receiving.

4. Learning: “You learn something new every day.” This Lent I want to dive deeper in Theology and the teachings of the Church. Nathalie and I are going to be reading Theology of the Body together in order to learn more about our loving God and ourselves. Learning is as simple as taking 10-30 minutes a day to read a book or listen to religious podcast or video.

5. Service: “All is Gift.” Knowing that everything we have been given is a gift from God, I am trying to give more this lent. I have a new act of service picked every week. This can be anything from sharing the Gospel with someone new, to volunteering, to hosting a nice dinner for friends.

I hope these suggestions are helpful for you as you journey through this Lent. Whatever your Lenten practices are, I encourage you to use these sacrifices and moments to listen to the Holy Spirit prompting you to go out and love the world. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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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Remembering the Path

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“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”

This line, taken from today’s Responsorial Psalm, is something that I have been praying every day since the beginning of Lent and plan on praying throughout Lent. It reminds me every morning that my Lenten sacrifices aren’t for me to become a better version of myself. They aren’t for me to lose weight or wake up earlier. They are for me to become better in my relationship with God — a time to return to walking in the Lord’s truth.

It is so easy to give something up or take something on for Lent and not grow closer to God. I mean what does not eating chocolate really do for my relationship with God? What does waking up at 5:00 am to work out do for my relationship with God? I could easily use Lent as a 40-day trial period. Try getting fit for 40 days and if I don’t like it, then I don’t have to do it anymore.

Kinda defeats the purpose, though.

Lent is not a trial period for you to better your worldly self, but instead a time for us to refocus our goals and to actively work towards our heavenly goal. In a society focused on numbers, we want to believe that it only takes 21 days to form a habit. We want the quick and easy formula that will set us on the path to success. We all want to believe that if we do yoga at exactly 6:15 every morning that we will become flawlessly relaxed and in tune with our bodies. That’s just not the case. And that’s okay.

Our situations are constantly changing and we have tools within our faith to help us. Even if we lose ourselves in the uproar of humanity, there is hope for us. Similar to Levi, the tax collector in our Gospel reading, there is always time to follow Christ. There is always time to course correct.

Tomorrow we begin the first week of Lent, so it’s definitely not too late. If your Lenten sacrifice has nothing to do with God, add a faith element to it. For example, I mentioned not eating chocolate. Instead of just not eating chocolate, say a Hail Mary every time you get the urge to eat chocolate. I mentioned my own Lenten sacrifice of waking up at 5:00 am. I say my daily prayer and then do some scripture reading. It doesn’t have to be going to Mass every day or saying a Rosary every hour (although these are great). It just has to be something that serves as a reminder that Lent is a faith journey and a time of faith reflection.  

Lastly, it’s important to remember that course-correcting does not happen immediately, but instead is understanding that you’re not going the right way and making a step in the right direction.

Which direction are you moving this Lenten season?

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.
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Hold Fast to Fasting

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I had an issue with the Friday after Ash Wednesday. I mean, we just did the whole “no meat” thing two days ago and now we have to do it again?

Then, I would remember that at least we don’t have to fast and I would find a little bit of consolation in that. At least we don’t have to fast.

So, of course, today’s readings have to do with fasting.

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three pillars of Lent. Through these penitential practices, we prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Resurrection and He invites us to return to Him. Let’s take a deeper look at fasting, though.

If you were to poll most Catholics, their view of fasting would probably be the stereotypical response of “two small meals a day that together don’t add up to one large meal.” They would also take solace in the fact that fasting is only required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Much like I did, until my view of fasting changed.

Throughout high school, I found myself heavily involved in retreat ministry. As a part of various retreat teams, we would take up different sacrifices, keeping in mind the sacrifices that future retreatants make in order to attend the retreat.

It was here that I learned fasting can take a different form. Some of our various fasts included technology, social media, snacking, music, etc. It increased our discipline, reminded us of a greater purpose and reordered our desires to the Lord.

Most recently, as a youth minister, I found myself forming a retreat team that chose a particularly difficult sacrifice. For the duration of our formation, the teens decided that the only beverage we would consume was water. That meant no coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks, juices, and others. When the teens pitched this idea, I panicked. I am a hard-working professional adult with two very consuming, demanding jobs. What was I going to do without my morning coffee?

When I panicked at the mere thought without coffee, I realized that my priorities were disordered and saw it as an invitation to return to the Lord on a more personal level. There were MANY days I struggled but I found other ways to “fast,” to continue the sacrifice.

The second half of today’s first reading is titled “Authentic Fasting that Leads to Blessing.” Isaiah pitches many different ideas and ways of fasting, such as sharing bread with the hungry and clothing the naked.

But wait? Haven’t we heard these before? In the corporal works of mercy? Those don’t exactly sound like fasts. Giving out of the surplus of our food to the needy is indeed a fast. Same with giving out of the surplus of our material wealth. These forms of fasting are different but none less important.

A genuine, true fast coming from the heart will reform one’s way of life. It’s a lesson I’m still learning and one I hope you will learn as well.

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Erin is a Parma Heights, Ohio, native and a 2016 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She uses her communication arts degree in a couple of different ways: first, as an Athletic Communications Assistant at Baldwin Wallace University and, secondly, as a youth minister at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Although both of her jobs are on complete opposite spectrums, she truly enjoys being able to span the realm of communications. You can follow her on multiple Twitter accounts – @erinmadden2016 (personal), @bwathletics (work) and @HFVision (youth ministry).
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How do I Return my Heart to the Lord

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It’s the second day of Lent; anyone besides me still wondering how to make it more meaningful (or significant)? There are many resources that can help with this: the USCCB, Franciscan, Busted Halo, and Ascension Presents just to name a few.

In this year’s Lenten blog, we have a theme: Return to me with your whole heart.

The reading from Deuteronomy speaks of what can happen to our hearts:

“If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God,
heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.”  Deut 30:17-20

I’ve been working on returning my heart to the Lord over the last few years. I’m intentional in this phrasing because it’s been challenging dealing with past hurts and baggage from the sins of my youth and adulthood (as well as some repressed or forgotten memories). A byproduct of this process is me trying to get to confession at least every two months. My goal is once a month, but life happens and confession gets pushed back.

Typing this my inner voice shouts, “Are you kidding me?! You let these situations keep you from getting closer to your Lord?” I have to remember what a counselor said to me when I was sorting through the fresh debris of my divorce. “Be gentle with yourself,” she told me. I am more inclined to shake that off and reprimand myself. I do sin, daily, in my thoughts, in my words, what I’ve done, what I’ve failed to do.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II wrote an Apostolic Exhortation titled Reconciliation and Penance. It is a rich document that helps to remind us that reconciliation and penance is, “a means of purification, enrichment and deepening in personal faith. May it also be a leaven capable of encouraging the growth in the midst of the world of peace and brotherhood, hope and joy-values which spring from the Gospel as it is accepted, meditated upon and lived day by day after the example of Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom it pleased God to reconcile all things to himself.”

As Pope, St. John Paul II went to confession on a daily basis. Mother Teresa went at least once a week. I have family members who haven’t been since the year they (or their children) were confirmed. My heart aches for them when I hear this because they haven’t experienced the healing forgiveness, grace, and love of our heavenly Father. I, too, have gone through times in my life when I have been ashamed or felt extreme guilt about going to confession. These feelings keep us from the healing graces available through the sacrament.

Fr. Mike Schmitz has some great tips about going in for reconciliation. “..honestly, the most important thing in going to Confession when you haven’t been for a while is: just go. I can’t tell you how many people walk in and say something like, “I haven’t been to Confession since second grade…” So we talk and I’ll walk them through it; the priest went to school for this…he knows you may get a little lost.” Here are a few suggestions to help prepare for the sacrament.

First: Get a good examination of conscience.

Second: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be honest with yourself as you read through the Examination of Conscience.

Third: Find out when and where the next available Confession is held.

Fourth (optional): Write down what you want to confess. It is helpful if you have figured out what the sin is “called” and include the estimated number of times you committed that particular sin. Refer to the examination of conscience and if it’s a mortal or venial sin.

Five: Show up at a Confession location during the time for Confession (or make an appointment).

Six: Walk in, let the priest know what you’re up to. You can say, “Bless me, Father. It’s been XXX long since my last Confession. Here are my sins.” Or if you lose your train of thought and totally forget. You can tell him that too. “Father, I’ve totally blanked. How do I start?” I’ve also said, “I don’t know where to start. Will you help me through this?” Each of these is absolutely acceptable.

Seven: Listen to the priest and don’t be upset if his advice isn’t the most profound thing you’ve ever heard. He will give you something to do: penance. It’s supposed to help you take your next steps forward after Confession is over.

Eight: Leave the “Confession space” and do your penance and be joyful! Your sins have been forgiven!

Remember what Pope Francis said, “the sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament of healing. Be courageous, and go to confession.”

If you have more questions check out Catholics come home.org

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Beth is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She brings a unique depth of experience to the group due to her time spent in education, parish ministries, sales and the service industry over the last 25 yrs. She is a practicing spiritual director as well as a Secular Franciscan (OFS). Beth is quick to offer a laugh, a prayer or smile to all she comes in contact with. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.
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Now is the Day of Salvation

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“Behold now is a very acceptable time; Behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Today is a significant day for us Catholics. It is a day that we wear a sign of ashes upon our foreheads. It is a day that we show vulnerability to the world of who we are- a people who return. We are humans whose hearts must return again and again back to God. This is an acceptable time, a time of true salvation. This truth is proclaimed in our Scripture readings today and it made me pause and think about how radical this simple phrase is. God is telling us that right now- right at this moment- it is acceptable… As human beings, we are very good at excuses. Our lives are filled with chores, deadlines, quotas, school plays, soccer games, and commutes. We have tons of responses to explain why right now isn’t “a good time”.  But as usual, God calls us out (in the most loving way). He calls us out of our fog and apathy. He tells us that right now actually isn’t just a good time- it is the best time.

In the Gospel reading, we hear Jesus informing His disciples on how to authentically fast and pray. He warns them not to be hypocrites. He is warning us too! He explains that we must not pray so that other people will see us, but to pray in secret. I love that Jesus says this to us. Honestly, I am not proud to share this, but I can get very wrapped up in comparing my “holiness” to the holiness of those around me.  Jesus gently reminds us that it’s not about them. It’s about you and Him. It’s not about someone’s opinion of your “level of holiness”. It’s about your personal and intimate time with Jesus, which no one needs to see for validation. I hope that as you begin this Lenten season you may enter into a secret place of prayer.  A secret place in your home or your heart that you reside with Him, that you don’t need to boast about. A place where you can just be and you can return to Him again.

Every hour, minute, and second is the most perfect time for us to return to Him. This is what Lent is all about. This is what Ash Wednesday is all about, remembering that we are dust and to dust, we shall return. It is now that Christ calls our hearts back to Him. “Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your WHOLE heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning.” When we simply decide to not make excuses, but to genuinely turn our hearts and eyes back to God, we encounter Him again. I’ve realized in my life that if I am not allowing myself to authentically encounter Jesus, my heart is far from His. An encounter is one of absolute goodness. Encountering Him is encountering graciousness, mercy, and freedom. He is slow to anger and rich in kindness. He does not come to condemn us, but to cleanse us. He cleans out all the gunk and crud that has been overlooked for too long. He wants to give us clean hearts and steadfast spirits. There is no better time than right now to bring your heart back to Him. I pray that you have a blessed Lenten season, focused on returning your heart to Him. I will strive to enter that sacred secret place and I hope you will too. Behold, now is a very acceptable time.  Behold, now is the day of salvation.

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