Posted on

Something Greater Than Jonah

Click here for daily readings

Have you ever been one to think, “I just don’t get much out of the Mass.” “Why can’t Jesus just walk on earth today with us?” “Where are the signs that God even exists?”

I think if we are honest with ourselves, no matter how holy we are or how many daily rosaries we recite, we have probably at one point or another had trouble with some aspect of faith. I know I have. The faith can be hard sometimes because we want assurance and proof of the things we believe. Even the Church admits this fact. In the Tantum Ergo, the song we sing during adoration, we hear, “Faith will tell us Christ is present when our human senses fail.” Mother Church, in all of her wisdom, knows that The Faith is hard to believe at times.

It was hard to believe during the time of the prophet Jonah as well. In the first reading, we hear of a land that has given themselves over to sin; their faith has weakened them to the point that they no longer believe they need God. They treat him as a distant being that doesn’t care if he exists at all, and they persist in their sinful ways. We all know the story of Jonah. He is swallowed by the whale because he doubts God, and then is spit out and goes to preach to the Ninevites about the power of God. He is the sign that allows them to break their sinful ways and turn to the Lord.

Fast forward to today. Remember when I asked if we have ever struggled with doubt? Well, the reality of the Gospel today is that we don’t have Jonah as a sign, we have Christ himself. Christ literally walked this earth, ate food, played with friends, built things with his hands, and ultimately died on a cross for us. The historical evidence for Jesus is staggering, but beyond that, he promised to stay with us in the Eucharist. If a story about a fish was enough for the Ninevites to turn from their sinful ways, what are we waiting for? We have Christ himself. We have the one that Jonah could only prophesy about.

The faith can be difficult to believe at times because of our own weakness, but it’s in times like these that we should lean all the more on Christ. We should ask for the grace of faith. We should ask for a faith that is able to move mountains. And when this faith is given, our personal faith comes alive. Not because we heard a story about a fish, or a kid slaying a giant, or man being healed, but because we have experienced the Lord. We have felt him. We have touched him, and he has touched our hearts. I encourage you during this Lenten season, to allow Jesus to be the sign that transforms you and turns you from your sinful ways. God Bless and know of my prayers for you.

Contact the author

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.

Posted on

Whose Kingdom is it? Who is in Control?

Click here for daily readings

We probably say the Lord’s Prayer at least once a day. These words are part of our Christian “DNA.”But do we really KNOW what we are praying?

Father, “hallowed be THY Name.” Not mine. I am not here to make a name for myself; I am here to glorify YOUR holy Name, a name the Chosen People dared not pronounce. You alone are holy, and I glorify Your holy Name.

“THY Kingdom come.” I am here to do my part in YOUR Kingdom, to work to establish YOUR Kingdom, not build my own little fiefdom, not maneuver myself into a place of power or influence or adulation, not to be in control of things. The world is Yours, and I am here to help turn it toward You.

“THY will be done.” I am here to do not MY will, but YOURS. Not just accept Your will, but to actively do Your will “as it is in heaven”…joyfully, promptly, perfectly.  You make all things work together for good, You choreograph every step of ours, if only we sincerely resolve to seek and do Your will.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Give us today, Lord, all that we need for today. Give us our physical sustenance, our spiritual Food, provide for our psychological and emotional needs, give us the grace we need for this moment. We trust that You have always provided, You can provide, You will provide, because You are a good Father.

“Forgive us our trespasses,” in Your great mercy, “as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Your mercy is freely given, but it has metaphysical conditions for receiving it! Jesus tells us that IF we forgive others, the Father will forgive us. But if we do NOT forgive others, then the Father is, in some mysterious way, prevented from forgiving us. This is a deep mystery, as God’s love IS mercy. And yet, if we refuse to forgive others, we are locked up inside a sealed box of resentment, and God’s mercy cannot penetrate it from the outside. We have to release the latch from the inside! What a terrible freedom we have: our willfulness and determination to hold a grudge and refuse to forgive can even thwart the love and mercy of God Himself! But, on the other hand, if we willingly let go of our anger and resentment, God will forgive us freely and fully.

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Guide our ways, Lord, so that we avoid occasions of sin, and keep us safe from the pervasive darkness. Free us from all that holds us down – our woundedness, blindness, attachments, confusions – so that we dance in the light of Your Spirit, trusting in Your Providence and Love! In this way, we will walk steadily in Your way, the way that leads to Your very Heart, our Home.

“For Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory, now and forever. Amen!”

Contact the author

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/.

Posted on

Me; A Goat, A Sheep, A Sinner?

Click here for daily readings

Yes, is my answer to all three of the above. The readings today are a reminder of the importance of self vigilance in our lives. 

The first reading has Moses listening to the Lord, giving him the ten commandments. The responsorial psalm tells us the Lord’s words are Spirit and life. Then, in today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the Apostles that the Lord will separate the sheep from the goats, judging the goats as those who do not recognize Him in the world through others and because of our own biases. 

I, alone, am responsible for my words, my actions, and inactions, my bias and blindness.

I am so very thankful that I have the teachings of the Church, His Word in the bible, food in the Eucharist, and forgiveness of my sins in the Sacrament of Reconciliation available almost in a blink of an eye. It’s all there for me, but it is still up to me to take the time to access these gifts and graces from God.

Lent is a great time to examine your conscience and make greater use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We don’t want to be like a goat that jumps around, chewing on things that aren’t good for us, and butting heads with those around us. Take two minutes and check out the links below for an examination of conscience to reflect on before your next confession. Set a date in your calendar, add it to your to-do list, or myParish app on your phone or tablet, and go to confession soon. 

Why? Today’s verse before the Gospel tells us, “now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” 2Cor 6:2B

Examination of Conscious based on the Commandments

Examination based on the Beatitudes

Examination by Pope Francis’ reflection on the beatitudes in “Gaudete et Exsultate”

Blessed is She Examination 

Contact the author

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.

Posted on

Fasting and Praying

Click here for daily readings

Today, we hear three different readings, all touching on the drama of salvation. I say drama because it truly can be read as a drama, and as any actor will tell you, it’s important to enter into the drama to know your place in it and how you are to act.

First, we hear how Adam and Eve fell in the garden after being given everything. Their ultimate sin was not so much eating the fruit, as it was not believing that God wanted what was best for them. They doubted God’s love and put trust in themselves, putting themselves in place of God. Second, we hear of Christ coming and saving us all, dying for our sins so we can gain back eternal life. Third, we hear about how Jesus himself was tempted in the desert and used scripture to ward off the temptation of the devil.

I want to focus mainly on the fact that Adam and Eve distrusted God and that Jesus fasted and prayed. These two things contrast quite heavily. Adam and Eve essentially start to believe that they don’t need God, that they can do better themselves, that God is holding out. In contrast, Jesus, the Son of God, knows the importance of prayer and fasting and gives us the perfect example.

So why does Jesus ask us to fast and pray during this time and even give us an example of it? It’s because fasting allows us to see that we rely on God. When we give up more and more things in our life, we start to realize how dependant we actually are on our loving God and how much he truly cares and will provide.

When we fast and pray, we are able to die to ourselves a little and enter deeper into a relationship with our loving God. This makes fasting something beautiful, not just a chore we have to do as Catholics. The more we deny ourselves, the deeper we rely on the love of God, and he is always there to provide. As we enter into the First Sunday of Lent together, I challenge us all to take the fasting seriously this Lent and allow ourselves to lean a little more on our loving Father. God Bless!

Contact the author

Tommy Shultz is Director of Marketing for Ablaze ministries as well as Director of Evangelization for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative. 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. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

Posted on

Conversion Moment

Click here for daily readings

What even is the whole point of Lent? Why do we take 40 days to prepare for Jesus’ Resurrection at Easter? Why do we embrace penance and suffering during this season? As I prepared my high school youth a few weeks ago for this new liturgical season, these are questions I sought to answer – at least, with more than just the pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

After researching, reading and spending time in prayer, I was surprised by the answers myself. One answer that I felt fairly confident about comes from paragraph 540 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which reads, “By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.” Jesus himself spent 40 days in the desert, fasting and enduring multiple temptations from Satan, so it only makes sense that we would enter into that mystery ourselves.

Then, the words of Ash Wednesday struck me: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” Here is where the true challenge of Lent lies – why we choose to give something up for 40 days, why we seek out additional prayer opportunities and why we give alms. It’s all about conversion – conversion toward God and conversion toward others.

Conversion runs deep in today’s readings. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear about what happens when one removes “oppression, false accusation and malicious speech” but also does good works of feeding the hungry and comforting the afflicted. Much is given to these people – the Lord will guide them and refresh them and more. I see quite a parallel to Easter here, where the joyous light of the Resurrection follows our time of conversion during Lent. We also see a reminder about keeping holy the Sabbath, which directly correlates to the conversion of God through prayer during Lent. When we honor the Lord through the Sabbath, through the celebration of Mass on Sunday, we delight in the Lord and He delights in us.

The tax collector Levi experienced a conversion himself in the Gospel reading. It began with a simple invitation from the Lord, “‘Follow me.’” The wealthy tax collector left everything behind to follow Jesus, which, of course, caused controversy among the scribes and Pharisees. When questioned why He spent so much time with tax collectors and prostitutes, Jesus spoke of their great need for a Savior. “I have not called the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

Lent has just started, brothers and sisters. Let us truly embrace this time of conversion and repentance as we turn away from sin and turn toward God.

Contact the author

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.

Posted on

Becoming a Beautiful Bride

Click here for daily readings

Today’s short Gospel is a quick Q & A between the disciples of John and Jesus – one question, with a two-sentence answer. And yet, the answer gives us much to ponder.

The disciples of John want to know why Jesus’ followers do not follow the typical Jewish cycle of fasting. Jesus gives a somewhat cryptic answer: “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

The questioners must have been wondering what this meant.
First, by the “bridegroom,” Jesus is clearly referring to himself. For the listeners, this would have brought to mind the prophetic words of the Old Testament, in which the relationship between the Chosen People and God is often referred to as a betrothal. It is a way of revealing the kind of love that God has for His people: personal, passionate, faithful, and fruitful love, like a young fiancé for his beautiful bride. God’s love for us is deep and intense and steadfast!

But a “bridegroom” is a step beyond a “betrothed.” Jesus is expressing that the betrothal is ending and that – in him – the marriage is now imminent! God has come in Christ, and Jesus IS the bridegroom, come to wed his spouse, the Chosen People, the Church, by saving her from sin. This is why we refer to the Church as the “Bride of Christ.”

In ancient Israel, the guests – family and friends – spent the week-long wedding celebration sharing the joy of the new couple. Here we see Jesus declare himself the bridegroom, and his disciples are the “wedding guests,” invited to share his joy as he takes the Church as his bride. He wants all of his disciples throughout time (even you and me) to do the same! He longs for each of us to remain near him so that the overflowing joy of his Heart can flow into our lives as well until we are fully one with him in the Heavenly Kingdom.

One more thing: Notice Jesus does not say that the bridegroom will leave; he says that the bridegroom will be taken away. He is forcibly and violently removed, but he does not want to leave us alone! Before “the bridegroom is taken away,” he reveals a way he can remain with us always: at the Last Supper, he institutes the Eucharist.
Until the total fulfillment of the Kingdom is revealed, while we “wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Savior,” we fast and pray and grow in love in order to be more fully conformed to his image, just as his disciples did.

This Lent, let’s open ourselves fully to all that the Church suggests – praying, fasting, giving – so that we are of one heart and mind as we focus our attention on all that Christ, the Bridegroom, has given for us, his bride.

Contact the author

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/.

Posted on

The Road Begins Here

Click here for daily readings

As I’ve probably shared here before, I live in a very small town that has a very big housing problem: second-home owners, seasonal rentals, and gentrification mean that it’s an increasingly expensive place to live. So over the past 10 years I’ve had to downsize my living arrangements more than once.

The first time, I’ll admit, was horrible. (I literally had a room full of books!) I was giving away things I believed had deep meaning to me, things I believed I would miss, things I believed I had to have in order to be me. I was asking difficult questions about what I needed—versus what I merely wanted. I’ve downsized twice since then, and the good news is it gets easier each time.

Maybe I’m finally getting to where I require less stuff in my life. Or perhaps it’s just I’m figuring out there are things that hold far more importance than “stuff.”

I think it’s so wonderfully appropriate that we have today’s gospel reading right at the beginning of Lent. Right here, right at the beginning, when we’re just out of Ash Wednesday, Jesus is clearly and unambiguously telling us the central events of his passion, death, and resurrection—the whole story, in just two verses. The road, he is saying, begins here. From now on, you’re going to have to make changes. Make sacrifices. Do things you don’t want to do. If you want to be part of Jesus’ project to save humanity, it’s going to include a lot of hard things, and it’s probably best to start down this road unencumbered.

If we want to follow Jesus, then there’s a price to be paid. He is willing to pay the price for us, even dying for us; but there’s a cost on our end, as well. We have crosses to take up and carry, pale imitations of his walk to Calvary carrying the instrument of his own torture and death.

The gospel is unequivocal: suffering and self-displacement are the hallmarks of a disciple. The road begins here, the road to being a follower of Jesus, the road to our own death and resurrection as well as his. And the first thing we have to do is give up all that stuff we thought we needed.

There’s a lot in life worth hoarding, but Jesus willingly turns his back on all of it. Why should we do any differently?

De-cluttering has become a fashionable activity, with suggestions arriving daily in our inboxes about how to do more with less. They tell us to use our motor vehicles less and our legs more; how empty surfaces are more appealing than piles of paper; that no one really needs all those pairs of shoes.

But not hoarding goes beyond the things we keep in our homes; it’s about the things we keep in our hearts. Jesus has chosen the way of the cross. He doesn’t hoard his life, even though at the end of the day our lives are all we have to keep or to give. And in this passage, he’s telling us exactly what it is we shouldn’t be hoarding: our selves. We are called not to hoard our lives, but to live generously.

To deny my own self, to reach a point where I am no longer the most important thing in the world, to be happy to listen instead of talking, to accept without resentment the challenges and troubles that come to me through time or circumstances—this is what it means to stop hoarding. That’s an especially troubling thought at the beginning of Lent, when giving up chocolate seems the most demanding thing in the world.

“What profit is there for one to gain the whole world, yet lose or forfeit himself?” What does it matter what I own, how much money I make, what kind of car I drive, indeed how many books I have in my library, if those things are what define me?

This Lent, Jesus is inviting us all to explore what our own individual crosses look like. How they can be the part of the way to redemption, the way to resurrection, the way to the Kingdom. To de-clutter our hearts and our souls and our minds so there’s more space for what he asks of us—sacrifice, generosity of spirit and action, hospitality, sharing, goodness of life, even suffering. This Lent, he’s looking tosee whether we’re willing to do it.

The road begins here.

Contact the author

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.