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What Hasn’t Changed?

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Everyone is on edge, nervous, even frantic. Everyone is concerned about what is going to happen next. Everyone is wondering what will be canceled next or what place will close next. There are no sporting events to watch and no restaurants to go to. As a coworker put it, “What’s there to talk about?”

Please, please don’t talk about THAT. I am so tired of hearing about it, reading about it and watching it. It’s enough to worry about whether or not my family of six will have food to eat for the next month.

So instead of buying into the hysteria and the panic, I am on a mission to share positivity. What can our current situation teach us? What opportunities can it allow us? What things can we do that we normally wouldn’t be able to? What do we now have time for that we otherwise wouldn’t? What HASN’T changed?

First and foremost, our great God has not changed. Our First Reading today reminds us: “For what great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?” Our God is ALWAYS with us, and we can ALWAYS call upon Him. He can grant us peace of mind when no one and nothing else can.

That is what we can learn from this. We can learn that when it comes down to it, the ONLY thing that matters is our relationship with God because we are never assured of a tomorrow.

But in the midst of this, while we still have breath within us, we have been given a great gift: the opportunity to spend more quality time with our families. Let’s bust out those board games, dust off those books we’ve wanted to read for years now, pump up those bicycle tires, and get some good old vitamin D.

Let’s have deep and heartfelt conversations with loved ones. Let’s laugh like we never have before. Let’s do our spring cleaning together this year. Let’s watched the televised Mass and pray the rosary as a family. Let’s not forget that what will carry us through this is prayer.

At my house this past weekend, we pulled out a large pad of MadLibs. (Remember those?) My 7-year-old and I were laughing out loud (for real), enjoying the silliness of sentences that made no sense. We imagined what a giraffe’s long “armpit” looked like (instead of neck), and what it would be like to come home to a “smelly” house (instead of a cozy one). We played soccer outside and built castles with magnet toys inside. We made homemade lemonade and chocolate cake. We finally had time to work on potty-training my 3-year-old and saved numerous diapers.

There is always a positive side to the coin if only we look for it. No matter how our situation may change or how much our world appears to turn upside down, may we never cease to exclaim like the Psalmist: “Praise the Lord, Jerusalem” (insert here USA).

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Untangle the Fibers of your Heart and Mind

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We know that love is patient and kind and forgiving. We know that love is the whole law.

But in certain circumstances, we find love difficult. Especially when it comes to forgiving some offenses, some people who do not seem to deserve our forgiveness. In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us a “secret” to forming a forgiving heart: we must see and acknowledge our own immense failings so that we can begin to understand the generous forgiveness that God extends to us. Once we are convicted of our own poverty and the deep darkness we experience without God’s grace, we see how much God has given us, and our hearts are enlivened anew and determined to extend mercy to others.

The Rabbinic teaching at this time was to forgive someone three times, so Peter was undoubtedly expressing something magnanimous by suggesting SEVEN times – more than twice as many! And Jesus says even this is not enough. We can never weary of forgiving others because we ourselves will never run out of reasons to be forgiven by God!

Jesus wanted us to be absolutely sure of his forgiveness, and so he made it audible in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Have we encountered the mercy of God in this sacrament this Lent? We come in humility to speak our weakness and woundedness to Jesus through the priest, and Jesus reaches down to us through that priest to make sure we know clearly that we are forgiven. Through the mouth of the priest, we hear the words of Jesus: “I absolve you from your sins…”, and we can rise up to try again. What a gift!

During this Lenten season, many of us have been given the opportunity to slow down and remain at home, away from our usual activities and events and routines, by the need for “social distancing.” This is not easy, but one way we can use this time is for more prayer, more self-examination, more spiritual reading, and a reflective re-prioritization of our usual activities.

One area to reflect upon, in light of this Gospel, is where we may be harboring a lack of forgiveness. What do I need to “let go of” in order to be free to love fully? What person irritates me or continues to act in hurtful ways? A good resolution is to pray for that person each time you feel the irritation. It can be as simple as, “Lord, I lay that situation at the foot of your Cross. Give me peace.” Then, let go of it; untangle the fibers of your heart and mind from that person or situation, so that you are freed for other things! There is no magic in this practice, but the Lord never fails to meet us more than halfway. If we resolve to move toward Him in this way, He will do the rest. And by Easter, our hearts will be more ready to encounter the Paschal Mystery.

Meanwhile, let us all pray for health and peace!

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

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What Would Elisha Do?

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We’re probably all dealing with some of the same situations and the same emotions as each other right now. Crowds filling supermarkets and stocking up on bottled water and toilet paper. Yet another bulletin telling us what to do to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19 (though I do have to ask why Comcast needed to send me some advice—the cable company now has doctors on staff?). It’s easy to fall into panic mode as a potentially deadly pandemic grips the globe.

And just on cue, we have today’s reading from the Second Book of Kings. If ever there were a time when the horizon of Scriptural text meets the horizon of today, it is this! Today God is giving us for our consideration a story of a disease suffered and cured, and a story of borders and boundaries.

“This delightfully pesky story,” writes Biblical scholar Samuel Giere, “of the healing of Naaman the Aramean by Elisha the prophet of Israel is a story of border-crossings, whereby the Lord works in mysterious ways—unwelcome by anyone, ancient or modern, who wants the Lord to observe humanity’s boundaries, and welcome by those finding themselves at the margins or on the outside.”

I live on Cape Cod, separated from the mainland by two aging bridges. As I write this, there have not yet been any confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in this county. And while it is prudent to take the prescribed precautions—and we are—there’s no need to come to blows over who gets the last packet of frozen vegetables at the supermarket, as a friend of mine observed. Truly situations like this bring out both the best and the worst in human nature.

The thing is, we who live here count on those bridges. We refer to travel to the mainland as “going over the bridge,” and it’s done, frankly, as little as possible. We have the Cape Cod Canal between us and, in a sense, the rest of the world. We live in a place that is desolate and lonely half of the year, and overrun with visitors the other half, and we’ve consequently developed a strong understanding, even with value judgments aside, of “us” as being quite separate from “them.”

It’s a dangerous way to look at life.

Let’s step back a moment and look at what’s happening in this story. Naaman is a powerful foreigner, commanding the army of Israel’s enemy Aram. Naaman also has leprosy, and clearly wants to be cured. The captive Israelite slave girl is pivotal in this story of healing: she has come to serve Naaman’s wife, but breaks out of the silence of slavery to direct Naaman to the healing power of the Lord, the God of Israel, by way of Israel’s prophet.

Aram is willing to try anything to see Naaman cured, but rather than approach the prophet, as the Israelite slave counseled, he does the politically expedient thing and instead sends a message—with a hefty bribe—to the king instead: equal speaking to equal in a currency they both understand. But the letter drives Israel’s king into mourning, for he knows that God alone can give life. Elisha hears of the king’s distress and takes over: “Let him come to me and find out that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Elisha sends word to Naaman of a simple cure: go and wash in the Jordan, you will be cleansed. Instead of being grateful, Naaman is furious. He likes neither the simplicity nor the locality of the prophet’s cure. Just… wash myself? In the Jordan? That’s it? I could have done that at home and spared myself the trip! But calmed by his servant, he follows Elisha’s prescription and is restored. (Do you notice that this story is filled with “lowly” people—the slave girl and the servant—who are more open to God’s voice than is the commander of the army or the king of the country?)

There are a whole lot of boundaries being broken down here, and that makes it, truly, a story for our time. The more we think of the world in terms of “us” and “them,” it then becomes a dangerously small step to “us” versus “them.” We look to borders and boundaries to protect us from a virus that heeds neither, when we should be expanding our sense of “us” to include everyone. We are all, in essence, on the Ark. It’s a good time to think about getting along with everyone on board.

God doesn’t see boundaries. God touches us in the simplest and most direct of ways. “My father,” said Naaman’s servant, “if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it?” We’re all looking for the miracle cure, the razzmatazz, the glitter. We want a big red pill we can take to make this scary situation go away. But it is in simplicity and sharing that we’re going to get through it.

What would Elisha say to our time, to our need for healing? What would Elisha do?

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Jeannette de Beauvoir is a writer and editor with the digital department of Pauline Books & Media, working on projects as disparate as newsletters, book clubs, ebooks, and retreats that support the apostolate of the Daughters of St. Paul at http://www.pauline.org.

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Love and Mercy

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The parable of the prodigal son is one of Jesus’ better known even in the culture at large. The drama of the ungrateful son callously calling for his inheritance, squandering it, and humbling himself to return to his father resonates with each of us in some way. Who hasn’t arrogantly been sure they didn’t need the authority God has set over them, and gone off to try their own way?

These days, though, it seems the focus of homilies on this parable doesn’t dwell on the blatant sins of the younger son so much as the arrogance and anger of the older. Perhaps we’ve become so complacent about the excesses of modern life that we no longer name as sins, so we focus on our contempt for our ‘brothers’ and our outrage that the father will forgive those heinous sins, never thinking of the enormity of our own disconnect from God’s will.

I think we miss the point. If we ‘fall short of the glory of God’, we’re still short, whether by a mile or a millimeter. Both brothers disrespect their father, and need his love and mercy. And he is ready to take each of them in to give them what they need, not because of their worthiness, but because of his love. In his Lenten Letter of, 2014 Bishop Arthur Serratelli, Diocese of Paterson, NJ writes:

“When we tarnish our dignity as children of God by our sins, the father is ready to clothe us again in his grace through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. However, just as the prodigal son, we need to confess our sins. We are body and spirit. We live by word and deed. We have the need to be seen and to be heard. We need to say our sins out loud to the priest and to hear the words of forgiveness spoken by him in the name of Jesus.”

As St. Athanasius teaches, “Just as a man is enlightened by the Holy Spirit when he is baptized by a priest, so he who confesses his sins with a repentant heart obtains their remission from the priest.”

It is not so much that God cannot forgive us without confession to a priest. Rather, he has given us this great sacrament precisely to meet us in our humanity. Whether we sin like the younger brother, grievously separating ourselves from God, or like the elder brother, separating ourselves from others, frequent confession opens us up to the love of God and helps us to appreciate that we are members of the family of God and not isolated individuals.

The same love that the father shows the younger son, he extends to the elder brother. To his selfish insistence on his own rights, the father tenderly gives a gentle reprimand. He invites him to be seated at table, celebrating the joy of being one family. He waits for his response. He waits for ours.

Taking our place at the Lord’s Table! Being part of the family of God! This is where our observance of Lent leads us. During the forty days of Lent, we deepen our prayer, practice fasting, and increase our works of charity (cf. Matt 6:1-18) to prepare for Easter. On that solemn Feast of feasts, we gather, with the newly baptized, to join with Jesus in his Passion, Death, and Resurrection. Through the Paschal Mystery, Jesus makes real in our lives the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Jesus goes to the Cross, taking upon himself our sins. He is the son who knows the infinite mercy of the father who says, “This son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found” (Lk 15:24). His road to Golgotha is the way to glory. And so Jesus “humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Phil 2:8-9).

The Cross of Jesus is the return of the Prodigal Son, all of us, into the home of our father. For, in the arms of the Crucified Christ, we encounter the father who runs to meet us. He embraces us with his love, even as we try to utter our words of repentance. His love overwhelms us. He invites us to the Eucharist. Seated at our rightful place at the table of the Lord, we already share in the eternal banquet of the Lamb, slain, and raised from the dead, where one day, we will know a joy that never ends.
May our journey through the purification and enlightenment of this Lent bring us to the loving arms of the father who “removes guilt and pardons sin… Who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency.”

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Pamela joined Diocesan’s staff in 2006, after a number of years in the non-profit sector. Her experience is in non-profit administration including management, finance, and program development, along with database management and communications. She was a catechist in her parish RCIA program for over 15 years, as well as chairperson of their Liturgy Commision. Received into the Catholic Church as an adult, Pamela’s faith formation was influenced by her Mennonite extended family, her Baptist childhood, and her years as a Reformed Presbyterian (think Scott Hahn).

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Jesus and Joseph

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Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. But what law are we talking about? And what does that have to do with Lent and Easter?

Going all the way back to the Old Testament, Moses went up Mount Sinai and received the 10 Commandments. From the very beginning, God was preparing His chosen people for the coming of Christ. You see, the Old Law, the 10 Commandments, tell us what we are to do but we still struggle in following this law due to our fallen human nature.

Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. The Law of the Gospel, the New Law of Jesus Christ, perfects the Old Law. The Old Law has been transformed through Jesus’ teachings but, most especially, through His Passion, Death and Resurrection when He sends us the Holy Spirit, which gives us the strength to live the law in love and out of love.

That’s not all the Passion does for us, though. Most importantly, Jesus reconciles us with God the Father and we receive the promise of new life in eternity DESPITE the consequences of original sin, which brought sin and death into the world. His death brings about new life, which permeates the hope and joy of the springtime and Easter season.

Okay, enough with the background information. In today’s first reading, I saw striking similarities between Joseph and Jesus, ones that I had never really seen before despite being familiar with the Old Testament story of Joseph (Yes, thanks to the movie and the Broadway play). Similarities that make you stop and think.

Israel sent Joseph out to his brothers, who were tending their father’s flocks, much like God the Father sent Jesus, His Beloved Son, into the world to reconcile us to Himself. Are we, the Church, the people of God, not considered Christ’s brothers and sisters?

Upon catching sight of Joseph, his brothers plotted to kill him. Were there not many who sought the Lord’s life between the scribes and the Pharisees? How many times do we read in the Gospels that those two groups wanted Jesus arrested and killed? More times than I can count.

Joseph was stripped of his tunic while Jesus was stripped of his garments before His crucifixion. Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver while Judas sold out Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver.

Despite all of these small similarities, there is one big difference being that Joseph was only sold into slavery and not actually killed while Jesus suffered death on the cross for our sake. There was no other way to pay the price for our sins.

There are many ways we can be drawn into preparation for Easter, sometimes in ways we might not even recognize. Continue to prepare your heart for the Lord’s coming by turning away from sin and turning toward God.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Role Models

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Not to put myself down, but I am not as fit as I once was. I participated in competitive running from 4th – 12th grade and lots of running afterward. At 25, even my elbow pops when I wake up. (That’s normal, right?) A broken ankle two summers ago, coupled with a hernia, hip misalignment, and minor ACL tear within the last year, all mean that I haven’t done too much physical activity for the last two years. This year, I’m trying to take small steps towards getting back into fitness and building strength, all while trying to incorporate a faith aspect.  

For example, my friend and I did SoulCore earlier this week. 

If you’re like me a week ago and have never heard of SoulCore, it’s a prayerful workout in which you pray the rosary while going through various stretching and strengthening moves. This way, not only are you working to focus yourself physically and mentally but also to focus yourself spiritually, as well. 

My friend and I had borrowed the DVD that goes through the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, but to be honest, we couldn’t make it through the third decade. At one point, I remember jokingly saying out loud, “I am weak, but my God is strong,” as my arms trembled during the Our Father pushups. My friend exhaled a quick, “Amen,” to let me know that I wasn’t the only one struggling. 

Today’s first reading forced me to face the fact that what I said as a joke should really be taken seriously. It reminds us to hope in the Lord and not to seek strength in flesh. 

Most often, I find myself wanting to be like other people. I want to be fit like Andrea La Thoma. I want the modern faith life of my coworker. I want the business acumen of my mother. I want the trust in God that Saint Monica had. It is rare that I find myself saying that I want to be more like Jesus. 

If you’re like me, maybe don’t give our savior so little credit. He wasn’t a king born with privilege and opportunities at his feet, he was born in a stable and placed in a feeding trough with a carpenter and young mother as his parents. He was human. He had human emotions and struggles. His faith, his self-control, his compassion, his big-picture view of the world, are all examples for me to follow. Moreover, he placed his faith in God, Our Father, above all else.

Who is your role model? Where is your hope in the Lord?

Learn more about SoulCore here.

Read more about how Jesus is our role model here. 

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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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Save Me, O Lord, In Your Kindness

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Jeremiah faces much opposition from the people. Note the line: “And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word.” Sound familiar? Much like the political climate today. Opposition to a political figure will find whatever that person has said, past or present, to tear them down. It was no different in Jeremiah’s time or throughout human history.

Jeremiah’s prayer, however, is wonderful: “Heed me, O Lord…Remember that I stood before you to speak on their behalf, to turn away your wrath from them.” Jeremiah does not pray for their destruction because of the opposition. Instead, he prays that God will spare them despite their evil intentions.

The prayer of Jeremiah shows much love for the people of Judah, much the same say Jesus continued to show love toward the Sons of Zebedee, rather than rebuke them, or their mother, for her request for her sons to be among the greatest at the Lord’s table. Neither she nor her sons understood what it would mean to be at the Lord’s table. It meant to suffer as Jesus would suffer. This is how one becomes great in the eyes of God. Not by human standards, but by God’s standards. Where have we heard this before? All through the Gospels.

The apostles would someday come to know that they would suffer great pain for their belief in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God.  We sometimes also suffer for our faith. In many parts of the world, Christians are physically persecuted. In our own country, it seems Christians are being looked down upon and vilified for our beliefs. Since when has the Gospel of Jesus, the Gospel of love or one another, become the enemy civilization? It is hard to imagine for those of us who have lived long lives and grew up in the day when Christianity was the standard, not on the outside fringe.

The question all of us must ask is this: How do we continue to show the world that the teachings of Jesus are the only way the world will be saved? That our love for everyone and the salvation of their souls is primary? Well, let’s look again, to Jesus: “Rather, whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Ransom = freedom. Many = all.

The season of Lent is the perfect time to look into our hearts to find that kernel of truth hiding among the weeds of pride. The truth that only when we serve others, can we be among the greatest in the eyes of Jesus. In the Gospel, Jesus uses the word slave. It is not “slave” in the sense we understand today, but rather the “slave of love” to another. Voluntary slavery to serve the greater good. In my 70 years of life, I am quite amazed that many people still do not understand that living by the Gospel, the Commandments, and the Beatitudes, brings about peace. Instead, today we seem intent on sowing the seeds of true slavery to the whims of the world. Please don’t fall into this trap!

If there is hope in all of this, it is that Lent, every year, calls us to examine our hearts and where we stand with Jesus. Even the smallest change in our lives will blossom. The seeds planted in our souls and cannot be eradicated. They will remain there until we commit to growing in love and service.

“You will free me from the snare they set for me, for you are my refuge. Into your hands, I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, O Lord, O faithful God.  Save me, O Lod, in your kindness.”

God Bless

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Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager at Diocesan, is a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. Jeanne has worked in parish ministry as an RCIA director, in Liturgy, and as a Cantor. Working word puzzles and reading fill her spare time. Jeanne can be reached at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.

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Climbing Up By Bowing Down

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“All their works are performed to be seen.” Do you know people like this? It seems they live as if a camera were constantly on, and they are always “performing.” Because their attention is only on themselves and they are marinating in compliments and attention, their company is not very enjoyable. The sad truth is that they aren’t truly happy, because they know that the compliments and attention they receive have come through subtle manipulation, not sincerity.

You may also know people who are actively doing good and serving others, but it seems they talk too much about all the good they do and fail to acknowledge the good of others. Their “good deeds” are waved like a banner of virtue-signaling to announce that others just don’t care as much as they do. They are propping up their own egos with their list of charitable works.

We have all experienced the desire for recognition, praise, even admiration; this is part of our fallen human nature. And while true good deeds should certainly be acknowledged, we make ourselves the recipient of our own “gift” if we give so that we receive praise from others! When the desire for recognition is the basis of our choices and actions, we are slaves to the opinions of others, sometimes to the point of protecting our sense of superiority by humiliating others.

Jesus came to set us free. Free from sin, error, and our dependence on the opinions of others. Free to recognize Truth, to love fully. Truly free.

He tried to win over the Pharisees and help them to freedom, but they were enslaved by their pride. So Jesus points out the dangers of their position and maneuvering: they were very attached to what others thought of them and in a position to manipulate those opinions. It was a dangerous game, and they were in a bad place. They were the elite of God’s people, but by glorying in their own sense of superiority, they blinded themselves so that they could not even recognize the Messiah among them.

Jesus contrasts this attitude with the attitude his own followers must have: to see each person as a brother in Christ, to serve all others rather than maneuvering to be served, to humble ourselves even in our good works and successes! Because every success comes from using the talents that have been given to us in circumstances that are largely beyond our control, not from ourselves alone. We are not here to make a name for ourselves, but to glorify God’s Name.

Jesus teaches us that if we promote and protect and prefer ourselves and prop ourselves up on the opinions of others, we will ultimately be humbled by the truth. But if we willingly recognize the truth of what we are and seek God’s will for our lives, we will reach the exalted place which He has prepared for us. The way to climb up to God is to bow down.

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including newly ordained Father Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

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Let it Shine

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It’s March in Michigan and the sun is shining. The bright blue sky, the amazing lightness is almost a shock to the system. Somehow as winter ends, you don’t really realize how much the clouds, the day to day living under the grey lack of light has impacted your psyche, your whole self all the way down to your toes. You don’t realize it, until all of a sudden the sun returns, the world brightens and without even realizing it was weighed down, your heart feels airy and fresh. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is announcing a similar shock to the system. In a world where behavior is predicated on how others treat us or what we think we can get from them, Jesus turns everything around and shows us how we have been living in the lack of light.

You don’t want to be judged? Then don’t judge.
You don’t want to be condemned? Then don’t condemn others.
You want to be forgiven? Then forgive.
You desire gifts to be given? Then give gifts to others. 

Not only will these things be given to you, they “will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing.” Not only that, it will be poured into your lap! You don’t have to go after it, it will come to you!

How? By giving to others. By forgiving. By refusing to judge. By refusing to condemn. 

Here we are in the Second Week of Lent. We are called to fast. We have given up the stuff of this world, in order to make room in our hearts for the glory and love of the next world. Today’s readings show us that we don’t have to wait. We can have the beginnings of heaven, right here, right now. In the midst of our penance, our sorrow, our journey, Jesus tells us how to receive His love now. True love is not dependent on behavior or what others do, true love loves. Period. End of sentence. 

Just like the spring sunshine lifts our hearts, Jesus’s mercy lifts our souls. He loves us, fully completely. Not just us collectively, he loves you individually, fully, completely and totally. He sees you. He sees what you are willing to give up for him and no matter how meager, (seriously, what is my giving up added sugar compared to the immensity of eternity?). He takes what you give him and gives it back, good measure, packed together, shaken and overflowing. 

So what are we being called to? As we proceed through Lent, through the Soup Suppers, parish missions, prayers, Stations, almsgiving and fasting, let’s open up our hearts to the Father’s love. It is a love so strong, so active, so personal and powerful that he became the personification of love by leaving heaven and dying on a cross. For you. For me. For every person we meet. We are called to conversion. We are called to step out into the “sonshine” and let it overwhelm us with the Father’s love. That changes everything.

Lenten blessings to you all!

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Sheryl delights in being the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process whether it is studying for classes, deepening their prayer life or discovering new ways to serve together. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Brea, a Bernese Mountain dog and Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever.

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Blessed Are They

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Today is a very special day for our family. It is the first time we will be able to celebrate a birthday with a new family member we have just met. So many years that seemed lost are now being caught up in just a few months. Some of us wonder how we ever got along without her. We are amazed at her joy, her generosity and her drive. She has given us the impetus to better ourselves, to break through barriers and to achieve what we once thought impossible. Truly a ray of sunshine in our otherwise dull lives. Now we can rejoice on this day instead of wonder, celebrate instead of suffer.

In just a few days, we also celebrate my oldest son’s birthday, the one who made me a mommy. I cannot even begin to tell you how long I waited for that day. After being a missionary in my late teens and early 20’s, I just assumed that God would bring me a husband right away, since I had given these tender years to Him. Boy, was I wrong! I had to endure 11 long years of ups and downs, difficult lessons as a result of wrong decisions, mixed with plenty of travel, work experience and life-long friendships. Finally, God led me to the love of my life and less than a year later we were holding our first son in our arms. What an amazing and undeserved gift.

Realizing all I have received in these two people definitely make the words of the First Reading come alive: “you are to be a people peculiarly his own, as he promised you…you will be a people sacred to the Lord, your God, as he promised.” (from DT 26) God has chosen to make me His own. He has chosen to love me in a peculiar, specific, singular way. He does not love me in the same way He loves anyone else. He does not shower the same blessings on me as He does anyone else. He loves me in the way my heart needs to be loved.

He loves me so much that I am sacred to Him. He holds me in a tender, delicate and holy way. And all of this is fulfilling His promise, His promise to never let me falter, lack or want. He did not promise there would be no suffering, but with that suffering there is always a lesson learned, or a good fruit that sprouts forth. He promises to love me and be with me always.

Lord, grant me the strength and conviction to always observe your statues, commandments and decrees. May I hearken to your voice so that I might walk in your ways and thus proclaim with the Psalmist: “Blessed are they who follow the law of the Lord!”

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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The Friday of the First Week of Lent

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I had no understanding of what it meant to fast or what Lent was really all about as a child. The crucifix and painting of Jesus were covered with purple cloth in my grandparents’ house and at church. We didn’t eat meat on Fridays. That was about it.

I do have many memories of eating fish sticks, tuna noodle casserole, grilled cheese & tomato soup or creamed peas on toast, on many Fridays during my youth. My favorite meals were when we had a dinner of pancakes or waffles. There were no parish fish frys available where we lived or in any of the communities to which we moved during my childhood.

Today, I understand more about the universal Church, Lent, sacrifice and penance. I really like how the Catholic Bishops of Ireland describe penance:

“Penance is an essential part of the lives of all Christ’s faithful. It arises from the Lord’s call to conversion and repentance. We do penance: in memory of the passion and death of the Lord, as a sharing in Christ’s suffering, as an expression of inner conversion, and as a form of reparation for sin.

Fridays hold a day of special intention during our Lenten journey. Some suggestions for penance to be done on Fridays include:

Abstaining from meat or some other food
Abstaining from alcoholic drink or smoking
Making a special effort at involvement in family prayer
Making a special effort to participate in Mass on Fridays
Visiting the Blessed Sacrament
Making the Stations of the Cross
Fasting from all food for a longer period than usual and perhaps giving what is saved to those in need
Helping the poor, sick, old, or lonely.”  

Pope Francis  reminds us in his Lenten message that prayer is very important during Lent, as it is an expression of our need to respond to God’s love which sustains us. Through our prayer, a dialog with God develops and our hearts are softened to help convert us to His will. Jesus’s passion, the Way of the Cross, is a way I can enter into sharing the journey with Christ who willingly accepted the Cross for my sinfulness and for yours.

The Stations of the Cross have been a great comfort to me during my own times of challenging life situations, through sickness, marital strife, job and financial insecurity, tragedy. Set aside some time to spend praying one of the Stations of the Cross listed below. May they lead you to a more open dialog with God as you continue on your Lenten journey.

Stations by Lebanese Young People led by Pope Francis at the Colosseum

youtube Stations of the Cross

Knights of Columbus Traditional & Modern Stations

USCCB Scriptural Stations of the Cross

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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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Prayer of Faith

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I have been reflecting a lot about prayer lately. Is there a correct way to pray, a prayer that reaches God faster, a type of prayer that cuts through all the human imperfection and distraction and more easily puts us in the presence of God?

Of course, there is no one size fits all answer to how to pray; what form or method is used. I think there is, however, a one size fits all answer to the virtue we should have when we commune with God, and that is faith.

I think there are different levels of faith, obviously by simply praying, we are acknowledging that God is there and this in itself is an act of faith. But then you have faith like we hear Queen Esther had in the first reading. When was the last time you or I prayed with this kind of intense faith? I know for me it has been too long.

It’s this level of faith that Jesus also talks about in the Gospel. He wants us to ask bold things of him; he wants us to expect miracles, aren’t miracles exactly the sort of thing we should expect from God?

All too often, we put God in a box and say things like, “Well, he will either say yes or he will give you something else you need more.” While there may be some truth to that, it disposes us immediately to doubt that God will answer the needs we have. We instantly think well what I am praying for may not be in God’s will. But here we have Jesus telling us to ask, and we see the result of this faith in Queen Esther. During this time of Lent, let’s be bold with God. Let’s ask for big things and expect big things to happen. God Bless!

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Tommy Shultz is Director of Evangelization for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative and the founder of Rodzinka Ministries. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. 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. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith.