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Eclipse of Love

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“Jerusalem, take off your robe of mourning and misery; put on the splendor of glory from God forever.”

What a beautiful way to start the day, huh? All of us want to flee mourning and misery and put on the splendor of God. Our company just finished a conference with NFCYM where myParish App was the official app of the conference. On my flight back we got delayed and were stuck in the Chicago airport. We tried to get to our hotel for the night but got on the wrong bus. After getting off, I realized I left my phone on that bus and we had to wait a half hour for it to come back around. Long story short, we got two hours of sleep and I am now writing to you from a little plastic chair in the Chicago airport.

I needed a little pick me up this morning, and here the word of God delivered in a big way. Sometimes we go through times of misery, but the reminder of the Gospel is that it does not last. We are all made for glory and happiness with our God. The saints call these moments of ups and downs in our lives times of desolation and consolation.

Sometimes we have times where it is hard to see God working, it is hard to find hope. These would be moments of desolation. But in reality, we know that God is always there and ultimately he wants us to be happy with him forever. I like to relate this to a solar eclipse. For a few seconds, the sun is not visible. It is completely obstructed. But we know that even though we cannot see it or even feel its effects, that it is not gone forever. The eclipse finishes and the sun emerges. It is the same with the son of God.

Sometimes we feel like we can’t feel or see or hear God, but then those moments of consolation come where we truly feel his peace and love and live in that peace. These moments remind us that he never left and that we do not have to be afraid. St. Francis De Sales once said, “Fear is a greater evil than evil itself. O you of little faith: what is it you fear? Do not be afraid. You are walking on water, amid wind and wave, but you are with Jesus. What is there to fear? If fear takes hold of you, cry out strongly, ‘O Lord, save me!’ He will hold out a hand to you. Hold on tight and go forward with joy.”

I don’t know what kind of suffering is happening in your life right now. It might not be as little as losing a phone and getting very little sleep, (I got the phone back by the way) but whatever your suffering is, do not give up hope. Wait for the Son to appear again and give you his unconditional love and peace. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary

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Today, our blessed mother Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, one of the greatest Marian feasts of the year, but also one of the most widely misunderstood.

In the gospel today, we read about the angel Gabriel coming to Mary to deliver the blessed news that she will be the mother of God. Because of this, there may be confusion as to whose conception we are talking about, Jesus or Mary.

The Immaculate Conception refers to Mary’s conception in her mother’s womb. Nine months from today, we will celebrate her birthday. But, if we are celebrating Mary’s conception, why are we reading about the Annunciation today?

The church in her wisdom assigns these readings to the mass in part because of the way that St. Gabriel greets Mary, “Hail, full of Grace, the Lord is with you!” This, of course, is the first part of the Hail Mary, which we pray often as Catholics.

But what does that mean?

The Greek translation for “full of grace” that Luke writes in his gospel is kecharitomene and it is the only time that this word is used in the New Testament. The full translation refers to an action that was completed in the past that has relevance to the present. The angel is literally saying in his greeting, “Hail you who have been perfected in grace (or transformed in grace) as an action completed in the past but with relevance to now.”

Understandably, we can’t fit that whole translation into the Hail Mary. But what action is the angel referring to?

Obviously, the immaculate conception; Mary’s total and complete immunity from sin from the moment of her creation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that in order for Mary to accept her vocation as the Mother of God, “it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God’s grace” (CCC 490). Mary was saved by the merits of Jesus Christ on the cross. She was given a preventative medicine of sorts which saved her from sin, unlike the rest of us who are forgiven from our sins by virtue of the crucifixion and our baptism.

We have to understand what sin is and the Lord’s declaration in our first reading in order to understand why it was necessary for Mary to be immaculately conceived.

“Immaculate” means without stain and sin stains, especially original sin, which we read about in our first reading. Sin separates us from God and is a failure on our part to love God. It sets us against him. Therefore, it would make no sense for his mother to be separated from God, especially because there is nothing more intimate and united than a mother and her child in utero. In order for God to come and rescue us from ourselves, it is fitting for him to be born of a woman removed from all sin, including that original stain. She is the new Eve in Christ’s new creation.

We see this in our first readings. In Genesis 3:15, God is speaking to Satan following Adam and Eve’s disobedience. He says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman and your seed and her seed. He will crust your head and you shall lie in wait for his heel.”

Satan’s seed is sin. The woman (although initially Eve) must be Mary. Mary alone gives birth to the seed who is Jesus, no one else does that. Biologically speaking, a woman doesn’t carry a seed, only a man does, which he gives to a woman in the marital embrace. So, when the Lord says a woman’s seed, we can assume that he’s referring to the miraculous conception that is Christ in Mary’s womb.

The Lord also declares a radical, absolute, and complete separation (enmity) between Satan and Mary. Pope Pius IX said that if Mary had any sin, her enmity with Satan would not be absolute.

On this Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, remember the Lord’s saving power and enduring love. Give thanks for the miracle of Mary’s conception, which reminds us that with God, nothing is impossible.

 O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.

Hannah Crites is a native to Denver Colorado and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has written for numerous publications and blogs including the Chastity Project, Washington Times, Faith & Culture: The Journal of the Augustine Institute, and Franciscan Magazine. She is currently working in content and digital marketing for a small web development and digital marketing agency. Connect with her through Twitter (@hannah_crites) and Facebook. Check out more of what she has written at https://hannahcrites.wordpress.com/

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Pity and Faith

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Son of David, have pity on us.

We hear this phrase frequently in the Gospels. Today, we hear these words out of the mouths of blind men in the Gospel of Matthew.

Although they could not have seen the miracles He had previously worked, these followers of Jesus knew of His reputation and had faith in His ability to heal them. They address Jesus using the Messianic title “Son of David,” a name not only connected with His royal lineage but one that also reflects His healing power.

Too often, we try to take matters in our own hands, believing that our plans are greater than God’s. In those circumstances, we think we are displaying great faith in ourselves, in our abilities, but what we are really showing is a complete lack of faith in the Lord. Think about what courage and faith the blind men must have had to even ask, “Son of David, have pity on us!”

Let’s take a look at the definition of pity. A “feeling of sorrow and compassion caused by the suffering and misfortune of others.” Remember, Jesus is fully human and He is moved out of those same human emotions of sorrow and compassion to help these men of faith.

As we journey through this season of Advent, let us embrace the spirit of the blind men. Let us have a bold faith. When the Lord asks us, “Do you believe that I can do this?” let us be bold enough to answer with a RESOUNDING “yes.” But let us also be humble enough to acknowledge our spiritual blindness in the first place. Humility and boldness go hand in hand here, working together in faith.

What are the areas of our lives that cause us spiritual blindness? Advent presents a great opportunity to reflect on our shortcomings and take them to Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. There is truly no better way to prepare ourselves for His birth than to rid our hearts of sin and darkness, giving Him pride of place instead.

For these next few days, let us take the opportunity to answer, “Yes, Lord. We believe.” You might be amazed at what He works in your life, what He does for your faith.

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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Feast of St. Nicholas

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The readings today speak of our trust and faith in the Lord. Both instruct us to have our Rock of faith as the Lord and keep our foundations in solidarity with Him, otherwise our houses, our lives will collapse. “Only the one who does the will of my Father will enter the Kingdom of heaven.” It is a great line to focus on this Advent, as we re-align ourselves with the will of our Father in heaven.

St. Nicholas of Myra, (280-343 AD), whose feast we celebrate today, is a wonderful example of keeping focused on the Lord. St. Nicholas is revered in both the Eastern and Western Church and was well known as a saint, long before Saints were officially approved by the Church (which began in the late 8th century). Read about this little-known fact of the Secret Santa here.

There are many legends attributed to this beloved Saint. When my children were young, I told them to leave their shoes by the door on the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, which is a popular tradition in Europe. In this narrative, St. Nick places chocolates, fruits or small gifts in the shoes.

Looking at prayers to St. Nicholas, I find myself drawn to this one. It sets a nice tone to the joyful season of Advent. May you be reminded of it every time you see a candy cane and smile or share with others the blessing.

Feast of St. Nicholas Day Candy Cane Blessing Prayer

Good St. Nicholas, we honor you
on this your holy feast day.
We rejoice that you are the patron saint
and the holy symbol of joy
for many peoples of many lands.

Come, great-hearted saint,
and be our patron and companion
as we, once again, prepare our homes and hearts
for the great feast of Christmas,
the birth of the Eternal Blessing, Jesus Christ.

May these sweets, these candy canes,
be a sign of Advent joy for us.
May these candy canes,
shaped just like your Bishop’s staff,
be for us a sign of your benevolent care.

We rejoice that you are the holy bringer of gifts
and that so many have been delighted
through your great generosity.
Help us to be as generous of heart.

Wherever these candy canes are hung,
on tree or wall or door,
may they carry with them
the bright blessing of God.
May all who shall taste them
experience the joy of God
upon their tongues and in their hearts.

We ask God, now, to bless
these your brightly striped sweets
in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Beth Price is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and spiritual director who has worked in several parish ministry roles during the last 20 years. She is a proud mother of 3 adult children. Beth currently works at Diocesan. You can contact her at bprice@diocesan.com.

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God Will Provide

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Today we are reminded that God will provide for us.  “The Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,” and provide for us. No matter our struggle, God is good.

In today’s first reading, we are reminded that God will provide the richest of foods, destroy death, wipe our tears, and save us, thus we should rejoice. The responsorial Psalm says that we “shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of [our lives],” listing the ways God has saved us. Finally, the Gospel is the fish and loaves story. Again, God provides.

If you were in the crowd near the Sea of Galilee, would you have given up your food? You wouldn’t know that Jesus would do a miracle and multiply it. If anything, you are super hungry with one loaf left. Would you even tell anyone that you have bread? I imagine it’s like when you have a piece of gum and everyone around you immediately wants a piece. Do you choose to give your piece of gum away, cut it in half, or keep it to yourself?

Similarly, when we are almost completely drained of money and time, do we still give what we have to God or do we keep it to ourselves? If you’re keeping it to yourself, then don’t expect a miracle. Even the poor widow gave her two coins (Mark 12:41).

Time and time again, God provides for us. We do not need to offer sacrifices of lambs and first-born sons. All we need is to have faith and God tells us something along the lines of, “You are mine and I will raise you up. You will be safe and saved. 100 percent, I am here for you.”

So this holiday season, give of your time and your faith. Stop rushing around and take the time to be truly thankful for the little miracles that God has done in your life. Work on growing in your faith by going to daily Mass and praying for others. Show God that you live out your faith and he will work miracles through you.

No matter your struggles, your pain, your heartache, God is by your side and he has a plan for you.

God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good!

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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The Ocean of Mission

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In the Bible I use as my study Bible, the second half of today’s Gospel is labeled, The Privileges of Discipleship. Jesus tells his disciples that they are blessed because they get to see and hear what so many others desired greatly, but did not get to see and hear.

My initial reaction to this passage sort of brings out the chip on my shoulder. Kind of a response of, “Sure, rub it in, they got to see you in person and we don’t. I get it, they were privileged, special, blessed while the rest of us are just trying to get through on the words and stories they left us.” One would think that I would have learned by now, that there is always more than meets the eye and my first impressions are rarely correct.

In this passage from Luke, Jesus is guiding his disciples to a new perspective. Look at what comes before and after this passage. Just prior to this Jesus has sent out the 70 (or 72 depending on your preferred translation) who have gone out into the countryside to heal and cast out demons in His name. And lo and behold, it works! From timid followers who leave with nothing, they return rejoicing at the fruits of their labors. Just following this passage, a scholar attempts to trick Jesus by asking him about the law and eternal life. When Jesus turns the question back on him, the scholar responds with the Shema Yrasel, the centerpiece of Jewish prayer, “You shall love the Lord, your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus responds by affirming the scholar and then expands on the meaning with the story of the Good Samaritan (whose title would have been an oxymoron to the Jews of Jesus’s time).

In the sending of the 70 (or 72), Jesus has begun to share his mission to spread God’s kingdom with his disciples. In the Good Samaritan, he shows us that mission isn’t just to the ones who live next to us, think like us or believe like us. Jesus is helping his disciples get used to the water so to speak, to get their toes wet before they have to swim in the ocean depths of the mission that He will leave for us, his disciples, to continue.

God’s ways are not our ways. (Isaiah 55:8) It also isn’t about becoming the wisest, the most powerful, the most influential, the most productive. Jesus praises the Father because He has turned all this human thinking around and stood it on its head. Jesus is telling his disciples (both them and us) that life isn’t about what we expect it to be about. To live as a disciple, yes, we learn at the Master’s feet, but we need to always remember that all right knowledge, wisdom, understanding (Gifts of the Holy Spirit, anyone?) come from God and they only flower and produce fruit when rooted in love.

So the Church, in her wisdom, gives us this reading in these early days of Advent, to remind us. This season isn’t about bows and ribbons, parties and programs. It is about preparing our hearts for the shoot which will “sprout from the stump of Jesse.” Because we too are special, blessed and get the privilege of discipleship. Not as we think it should be, but as God desires it. The disciples saw and spoke with Jesus in the flesh. We take Jesus, body, blood, soul, and divinity into our very being. He changed them from the outside in, but He has reserved for us who follow the opportunity to be changed from the inside out.

And all that started with a babe in a manger. The prophet tells us that as a result of that babe, that shoot sprouted from Jesse, “the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord as the water covers the sea.”

And that brings us back to the ocean of mission, where we serve God by serving our neighbor. Anyone what to go swimming this Advent?

Sheryl O’Connor is happiest in her role as wife to Tom. Together, they are discerning Tom’s call to the Diaconate and he is in his Aspirancy year with the Diocese of Kalamazoo. She splits her time between Holy Family Healthcare where she is the Director of Strong Families Programs and her parish collaborative where she is the Director of Youth Evangelization.

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Let’s Go Together

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The Church in her wisdom immediately reminds us at the very beginning of the Advent season that in these days of expectation, we are not only reliving the waiting of our ancient fathers, the centuries of longing for the promised Messiah.

We are, yes, entering into the journey begun by their longing and expectation, but we are doing so with our eyes wide open. As brothers and sisters of Jesus—God-with-us who took on our flesh with its limitations, sorrows, and joys—our eyes are fixed on the “mountain of the Lord’s house…the highest mountain…raised above the hills.”

Neither am I looking up at this mountain as my own personal salvation. Again, the Church makes clear, “All nations shall stream toward it; many people shall come and say: ‘Come, let us climb the Lord’s mountain….’”

There is a joy that rings out from these verses of Isaiah. Come, let’s go! Let’s go together! Let us climb that “he may instruct us in his ways and we may walk in his paths.”

In Advent, then, the Church sets our sights on the highest mountain, the final days when the heavenly Jerusalem will be home to everyone who walks in the Lord’s ways.

The heavenly Jerusalem can seem a long way off, but the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ have brought it quite near. Origen reminds us: “Christ has flooded the universe with divine and sanctifying waves. For the thirsty, he sends a spring of living water from the wound which the spear opened in his side. From the wound in Christ’s side has come forth the Church, and he has made her his Bride” (Commentary on Psalm 77,31, Commentary on Proverbs 31,16).

The Church, in its deepest understanding, is the world in the course of transfiguration. The world, in Christ, reflects the light of paradise. The world-in-Christ is heaven and earth renewed, brought to us in the sacraments. The Didache tells us that the Church in the earliest centuries was praying and hoping at every celebration of the Eucharist that the world would actually be transfigured: ‘May the Lord come and the world pass away,’ that is, the world of death and illusion. It is the Eucharist, then, that constitutes the Church as a people of the Exodus on its way to the Kingdom, already fed by the manna of eternity.

So in these days when relations among nations cause us to worry and the suffering of peoples seems so immense that we feel powerless to help, Advent reminds us that in the end, when the world is transfigured completely in the unquenchable light of the Kingdom to come:

“He shall judge between the nations, and impose terms on many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!”

Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She draws from the spiritual tradition and her own lived experience to lead seekers deep within themselves and through their personal history to deepen their intimacy with and trust in God; live with greater joy, peace, and interior freedom; and encounter the Lord in their past and present life experiences to find healing, grace, and newness of life. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey.

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Christ Reminds us of Who We Are

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“Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Often when I read verses like this one from Today’s Gospel, I become discouraged and feel disheartened. In today’s world, with all its tribulations, we have to cry out to God for the strength to persevere. Like the beggar who pounds his breasts in the temple, we cry for the grace to avoid sin and attain virtue.

The reason this saddens my heart is that God did not ever desire this for us. There was a time when virtue was what we wanted when love was our first thought in relation to others when praise of the Lord just made sense and didn’t take effort. As sad as it is that we now have to cry out, could you imagine if we didn’t have a savior who has allowed us to beg for the grace we lost?

Think about it, in the garden Adam and Eve were human beings par excellence. They were who all of us long to be. They just had the grace from God, they didn’t need to beg on bended knee. Then the fall happened and changed the entire world and the whole human race. We lost our inheritance, but God became man so that we could ask for it back and through his power we receive it.

“But when these signs begin to happen, stand erect and raise your heads because your redemption is at hand.”

Scripture speaks of signs that will happen letting us know our redemption is at hand. The first sign of our coming redemption is the birth of Christ. This is what we celebrate at Christmas, that God loves us enough to give us another shot. Not to go back to the beginning, but to go through our beginning state and beyond. Enjoying abounding grace, unconditional love, and perfect hope.

I often think of this verse when Christmas approaches, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Now, this may seem like an unrelated verse to Christmas. It just feels like a verse of condemnation and impossible standards. But the reality is that for Christ to hold us to such a high standard, he has to redeem us to the level where we can attain the standard. 

This verse is not so much a condemnation, but a calling. A calling to accept the grace Christ wants to give, grace that gives us the strength to live and to love how God calls us. God became a man to redeem us of course, but he also became a man to remind us of who we are and how we are created. We have forgotten our worth, God taking on a body and becoming human reminds us of it. That should give us great joy. Happy Advent and from all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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Fishers of Men

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Today, we celebrate the Feast of Saint Andrew, an apostle of Christ. In the readings, we see Saint Andrew called from his father’s boat along with his more celebrated brother, Saint Peter, and the sons of Thunder, Saints James and John.

Though his role is seemingly insignificant compared to his brother, according to the Gospel of St. John, St. Andrew is one of the first evangelists, and without his witness, the gospels would have played out very differently. As a follower of St. John the Baptist, St. Andrew met Jesus early in his public ministry and led a very important convert to him:

“John was standing with two of his disciples. He looked at Jesus as he walked and said, ‘Behold the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus… One of the two who heard John speak, and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his brother Simon and said to him, ‘We have found the Messiah.’” (John 1:35-37, 40-41)

St. Andrew’s witness touched St. Peter so deeply, that when Christ came to their boats and invited them to follow him in the Gospel of St. Matthew, they dropped their nets without hesitation. Once that decision was made, there was no turning back. Their faith is admirable and it’s all thanks to St. Andrew’s initial witness.

The passage is very simple, but there is incredible beauty in their obedience and trust in the Lord when he tells them, “Come after me.”

God’s transforming power is on full display in the calling of Saints Andrew, Peter, James, and John. They started as simple, humble fishermen who toiled every day on the Sea of Galilee as their fathers did, and likely as their fathers did before them. But the Lord called them to a deeper purpose and made them a promise that they will become, “fishers of men.” He called them to become instruments through which God would gather people into himself.

It was a call that Saint Andrew carried with him through present day Turkey and Russia. In the end, like Saint Peter, he was arrested and crucified, but refused to die in the same way that the Lord had died. Saint Peter was crucified upside down. Saint Andrew was crucified on an X- shaped cross.

Let’s ponder Saint Andrew’s life and how we can imitate him. As a Christian, you know in the depths of your soul that Jesus is the Messiah, the one who comes to save. Who has given you a profound witness to the power of Christ that left you inspired to follow him? How willing are you to share the truth of Christ with those whom you love?

Saint Andrew, the Apostle. Pray for us.

Hannah Crites is a native to Denver Colorado and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She has written for numerous publications and blogs including the Chastity Project, Washington Times, Faith & Culture: The Journal of the Augustine Institute, and Franciscan Magazine. She is currently working in content and digital marketing for a small web development and digital marketing agency. Connect with her through Twitter (@hannah_crites) and Facebook. Check out more of what she has written here.

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The Harlot and the Bride

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In the first reading today, John describes the apocalyptic fall of the great city of Babylon. While there’s debate among Scripture scholars over whether John’s vision of Babylon represents Rome or Jerusalem, for my purposes here I want to focus on Babylon being identified as “the great harlot.” The harlot in Biblical imagery is the unfaithful one, the adulterer, the idolater. Harlotry, then, is the love of earthly goods to the detriment of love of God and neighbor.

In Revelation, the harlot is juxtaposed with the Bride of the Lamb. There at the end of this reading, when heaven is celebrating the destruction of Babylon, John says, “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.’” The Bride of the Lamb, the Bride of Christ, is the Church.

Next to Babylon’s unfaithfulness stands the Church’s faithfulness to Christ. “[The Church’s] structure is totally ordered to the holiness of Christ’s members. and holiness is measured according to the ‘great mystery’ in which the Bride responds with the gift of love to the gift of the Bridegroom” (Catechism 773). This is a reality worth pausing on. The Catechism says:

“The Church is the spotless bride of the spotless Lamb. ‘Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her.’ He has joined her with himself in an everlasting covenant and never stops caring for her as for his own body…’The two will become one flesh. This is a great mystery, and I am applying it to Christ and the Church.’ and the Lord himself says in the Gospel: ‘So they are no longer two, but one flesh.’ They are, in fact, two different persons, yet they are one in the conjugal union…(Catechism 796).

In other words, Christ and the Church are united with each other in the way that husband and wife are united. This mustn’t be trivialized. The Catechism says that married love “aims at a deeply personal unity, a unity that, beyond union in one flesh, leads to forming one heart and soul” (Catechism 1643). Thus if marriage brings together two persons and unites them so profoundly that they share one heart and soul, then the members of the Church, all who are baptized, are being united to Christ so profoundly that we share one heart and soul. This is what we call “theosis,” being transformed into the likeness of Christ, the process of becoming God (cf Catechism 460 and 2782).

However, in the situation the Church finds herself in today, it could be easy to mistake the Bride for a harlot. What could be more unfaithful to Christ than, as the Holy Father described it, “the suffering endured by many minors due to sexual abuse, the abuse of power and the abuse of conscience perpetrated by a significant number of clerics and consecrated persons”? The abusers choose power and objectification over love. The bishops who enabled the abuse chose earthly prestige over justice. What we are witnessing is the height of harlotry.

How do we, as the baptized members of the Church, find our true identity again? By turning to Mary. For “Mary goes before us all in the holiness that is the Church’s mystery as ‘the bride without spot or wrinkle.’ This is why the ‘Marian’ dimension of the Church precedes the ‘Petrine’” (Catechism 773). In other words, when the wounded and adulterous human institution falters we must turn to Mary for correction and reform. She is the “eschatological icon of the Church,” that is, “the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come” (Catechism 972). As Pope Francis says:

“‘If one member suffers, all suffer together with it’, said Saint Paul. By an attitude of prayer and penance, we will become attuned as individuals and as a community to this exhortation, so that we may grow in the gift of compassion, in justice, prevention and reparation. Mary chose to stand at the foot of her Son’s cross. She did so unhesitatingly, standing firmly by Jesus’ side. In this way, she reveals the way she lived her entire life. When we experience the desolation caused by these ecclesial wounds, we will do well, with Mary, ‘to insist more upon prayer’, seeking to grow all the more in love and fidelity to the Church. She, the first of the disciples, teaches all of us as disciples how we are to halt before the sufferings of the innocent, without excuses or cowardice. To look to Mary is to discover the model of a true follower of Christ.”

Let us pray to Mary, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, for a new outpouring of the Spirit to empower every member of the Church to act with courage and integrity in seeking justice for the perpetrators. Let us pray to Mary, the Mother of Christ, for each of us to be instruments of healing for the many wounded. Let us pray to Mary, the Handmaid of the Father, that leaders in the Church will have the humility to willingly give up their idolatry to earthly authority. Let us pray to Mary that the harlotry in the Church will be cast down so that we may all cry “Alleluia! Salvation, glory, and might belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments.”

Paul Fahey is a husband, father, and a parish director of religious education. He can be found at his website, Rejoice and be Glad: Catholicism in the Pope Francis Generation.

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Remain Faithful

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“To suffer and to be despised — what bitterness, but what glory!”
-St. Therese of Lisieux

Being Catholic is not easy; following the way of Christ is not easy. But if we think about it, Jesus never said it would be, He only said that the reward would be great.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus warns about the end of time and the trials and persecutions that will come with it. He says, “You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death” (21:7) but we are not to lose hope because the wisdom of God will guide us. It is easy to despair and become discouraged when hearing this Gospel. After all, it does foretell a grim future. But the hope that comes with Christ’s promise is far greater and far stronger than any opposition we will face. He knows what that persecution will be like because He lived it in His Passion. But Christ also knows that by uniting our suffering to His will only bring us closer to His Eternal Kingdom. For that reason, He promises to give us “wisdom in speaking” (21:15) and that “by your perseverance, you will secure your lives” (21:19).

This Gospel is about the end times but can also be thought of in our own day and age. I often find myself at a loss for words and explanations when conversing with someone who opposes (whether it is vehement opposition or not) the Catholic Church and her teachings. When I reflect on those encounters I realize that often times I did not ask Christ for His guidance in the conversation. Rather, I was guided by my own emotions and, in the end, was unable to properly defend the faith. Today’s Gospel reminds us to put our entire being—thoughts, actions, emotions—into the hands of Christ in order to be guided by His infinite wisdom. When we do so, now and at the end of time, we have nothing to fear.

The Gospel acclamation sums up the Christian life: “Remain faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life”. We have nothing to lose by following Christ; we have everything to gain.

Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO, is studying for her Master’s in Spanish, and loves her job as an elementary school librarian. She is engaged to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others.

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A Firm Disposition to do the Good

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“A virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person to not only perform good acts but to give the best of himself.” CCC #1803

As I write this, it is Thanksgiving week. A time set aside in our country for reflection and gratitude. You would think that it would be a peaceful time, with joy-filled family celebrations and goodwill being spread from friend to friend.

Yet, we hear (or experience first hand!) the tales of families for whom proximity brings tension or where the tension is so great that proximity to those we think should know and love us best is no longer an option. On the day set aside to remember how grateful we are for all we have, the advertising/media machine is going full tilt convincing us of stuff we still have to have and how we need to get a better deal on our stuff than our neighbor. This doesn’t exactly set the stage for a firm disposition to do the good, perform good acts or give the best of our selves.

It is in this context of the knowledge that we should be grateful but we are caught up in the stress and desire for what we don’t really need that we receive today’s readings with their predictions of the rough times to come before Jesus reappears. Jesus tells us straight out, a lot of crazy stuff is going to happen. It is going to be scary and people are going to try to deceive us, they will even try to convince us that He sent them. Don’t buy it! (Pun intended.)

So what are we to do? How do we keep putting one foot in front of the other and facing each new challenge when it just seems so hard to maintain our focus much less develop good habits?

The Holy Spirit gives us the gift of knowledge. If we rest on that gift and seek to know Jesus, we will receive the gift of understanding what he has taught us. We love him first, over anything else. We love our neighbor. Jesus gives us in the example of how he lived the understanding that love isn’t just words, it isn’t enough to just sing carols of peace and love. We are called to roll up our sleeves and work for it.

It takes the virtue of patience to ignore the siren call of this world to satisfy all our needs now and to wait on Jesus. Yet, that is exactly what Jesus is calling us to do in Luke. “Do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end.” We have to wait for His end. It takes patience to continue to follow His example when those who follow their own path seem to be the ones prospering. It takes a firm determination to not be distracted by those who offer shortcuts. We have to make a habit of being in prayer to stay connected to the one who “rules the world with justice and his people with constancy.” We need to routinely immerse ourselves in His word so that we have the confidence that “He has made the world firm, not to be moved.”

So I wish you patience this holiday season. Patience with those around us who are caught up in the world. Patience with yourselves as you discern how to best prepare for celebrating Jesus’s birth. Patience with God as He gives you all you need in His own time so that you are able to give back the best of yourself.

Sheryl O’Connor is happiest in her role as wife to Tom. Together, they are discerning Tom’s call to the Diaconate and he is in his Aspirancy year with the Diocese of Kalamazoo. She splits her time between Holy Family Healthcare where she is the Director of Strong Families Programs and her parish collaborative where she is the Director of Youth Evangelization.