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Shed Some Tears

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At significant moments in the Gospels, Jesus weeps. He weeps at the sight of his friend Lazarus dead in his tomb. He weeps when praying in the garden the night before his crucifixion. 

It is not insignificant then that, in today’s Gospel, Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem. Why? He knew the coming hurt, the impending destruction, that the city would experience, referring to the takeover by the Roman Empire in 70 AD. 

Jesus wept for more than just that, though. He wept because Jerusalem did not know peace. The city did not accept peace, did not accept Jesus – the one who brings peace. Because of this, the city would be destroyed as was so foretold in verses 43-44 of the Gospel. 

Do we know peace in today’s society? As a general rule of thumb, do we accept Jesus? It breaks my heart to say – no, I don’t think so. In fact, I see more division and discord, signs of a lack of peace. I see more and more rejection of Jesus than ever before. 

Jesus weeps. 

He weeps when brother turns against brother. He weeps when hatred is sown in the hearts of men and directs our actions. He weeps when wealth, fame and power are held in a higher regard than He is. He weeps when we choose the things of this world more often than Him. He weeps at our sinfulness. 

That is not the end of the story, though. Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. So while He may weep when we sin against Him, Jesus opens up His arms and extends His mercy to us. He does this over and over and over again, no matter how many times we sin. 

I’ve written several times about sin and the mercy available in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. What I wish to leave you with today is this – to pray for the openness to see the effects of our sins, especially how it hurts the Lord. See how Jesus weeps that we may, in turn, weep for the way we’ve hurt Him with our sin. Then run to His grace and mercy in Confession. 

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Erin Madden is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter@erinmadden2016.

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The Apple of God’s Eye

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I was born to a Catholic couple and raised in a Catholic family. I lived in a Catholic house on the same block as a Catholic school, a half a block away from a Catholic church. I was baptized in that church, graduated from that school. The sisters from the convent would come over on Saturday mornings and have coffee with my mother. Nuns have seen me in my pajamas! 

My mother was — and, at 83, still is! — organist at that church. I made my First Communion and First Reconciliation there, and I was confirmed and married before that altar. I served as an altar boy and lector and, living just a half a block away, answered many a call to fill in at the last minute when some other server failed to show up. Bottom line, I was nurtured in the faith, as Catholic as those seven brothers were Jewish.

And yet, I specifically remember our priest teaching us one day during a visit to religion class that we had to choose for ourselves: are we going to believe, or not? I don’t know if it had the effect he intended, because for me, it sounded like, “hey, you have an out.”

Clearly, I was not a Maccabean son, ready to give up my very life for my God and beliefs. And yet, I, too, had a parent who exhorted me to keep the faith they taught me, and that made all the difference. I learned by example that our God is a God of love who is deserving of all our love, praise and worship, however imperfect. 

In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us where we go from there. One might think the parable of the talents is sort of a faith economics lesson — God gives you gifts and expects you to be productive with them. But it’s so much more, and it all starts with that Maccabean concept of loving God above all. When our focus is on the Lord, then the using of our gifts to the best of our ability for him is the natural course of action. Because God loves us, we love him, and we serve others out of love for God and them, for his glory alone. 

It’s a big call, and the servant who did nothing with the talent shows the consequences. But note that the servant who returns fivefold is not chastised for failing to gain 10, he is rewarded for doing his best. The one who did not try is the one who must answer for it.

But then Luke throws in that unexpected twist: the people who didn’t want this nobleman to be king in the first place. Suddenly, “you have an out” comes into much clearer focus. If we’re going to believe, we need to love God above all and use our talents to further his kingdom in love and service. And if we aren’t, if we opt out, God will oblige by opting out on us. The king had his enemies slain before him, cutting them off completely. How could we possibly want that? Our prayer indeed must be, as the psalmist says, keep us “as the apple of your eye.”

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Mike Karpus is a regular guy. He grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, graduated from Michigan State University and works as an editor. He is married to a Catholic school principal, raised two daughters who became Catholic school teachers at points in their careers, and now relishes his two grandchildren, including the 3-year-old who teaches him what the colors of Father’s chasubles mean. He has served on a Catholic School board, a pastoral council and a parish stewardship committee. He currently is a lector at Mass, a Knight of Columbus, Adult Faith Formation Committee member and a board member of the local Habitat for Humanity organization. But mostly he’s a regular guy.

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Zacchaeus, A Conversion That Impacted An Entire Community!

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“The Son of Man has Come to seek and save what is lost.”

The Gospel today shares the powerful story of Zacchaeus and how Jesus touched his own heart and his whole family, as Jesus said, “Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham.”

Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector in the city of Jericho was willing to look ridiculous, to seek Christ out in a dramatic way, by climbing a tree and allowing his curiosity to get the best of him. The tax collector wanted to “see” Jesus with his own eyes, as if he was inviting Jesus to notice him. When we go out of our way to discover the Lord, Jesus notices each action; as David proclaimed in the Psalms “Lord, you have probed me, you know me: you know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar” (Ps 139:1,2).

Jesus didn’t care what others said about Him or Zacchaeus. One of the amazing qualities of Jesus is that He was not influenced by popular opinion polls or the local town gossip. He can read hearts and know where to disperse and cultivate the seeds of faith.

Many in the town were upset by Jesus and grumbled about how Jesus was going to stay at the house of Zacchaeus. They thought it was scandalous based on how this wealthy man had treated the local people. Instead of Zacchaeus justifying himself in front of the community about his past behaviors, he had a change of heart. The once hard-hearted tax collector now proclaims to all, “ Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.” Imagine the shock and overall joy in hearing these words! Think about how much this one conversion benefitted all the people who lived there. This one conversion of heart impacted the whole region of Jericho! Zacchaeus was willing to right his wrongs and be generous to the poor.  We too are invited to encounter Jesus, to respond to that invitation and to be generous with others. Jesus wants to come into our lives, our hearts, our home, and be present while we work. 

Do we pray for the conversion of those who make our lives difficult? Do we pray for those who persecute Christians that God will transform their hearts and receive His mercy? Do we invite Jesus into our life to set our hearts on fire with the love of Christ, and love of others?

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Emily Jaminet is a Catholic author, speaker, radio personality, wife, and mother of seven children. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mental health and human services from the Franciscan University of Steubenville.  She is the co-founder of www.inspirethefaith.com and the Executive Director of The Sacred Heart Enthronement Network www.WelcomeHisHeart.com. She has co-authored several Catholic books and her next one, Secrets of the Sacred Heart: Claiming Jesus’ Twelve Promises in Your Life, comes out in Oct. 2020. Emily serves on the board of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference, contributes to Relevant Radio and Catholic Mom.com.

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It’s a Comin’!

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I grew up in Texas, which is south but not what I would call THE South. Texas is its own kind of south since there are so many western influences (see: cowboy references). It also has its own dialect, one where we occasionally speak Spanglish and drop Gs. So when my highschool friend said, “Girl, it’s a comin’,” all ominous-like… it just stuck in my head. 

Here we are, two weeks away from the new liturgical year, a new birth and literally the birth of Christ, and all I hear is people talking about the death of the Church. The death of its aging members. The death of Christian values. The death of youth’s interest in the Church. 

At a prayer meeting last year, someone had the word “rebirth” for the Church and the image that someone else had at the same time was one of a woman about to give birth, feeling as though she was going to die. 

This woman was in agony. She felt like she couldn’t go on. She felt like this had to be the end, the end of her, the end of everything. She felt as though she was about to die because the suffering was too great. 

Then she gave birth to new life. 

And she cried tears of joy. There was celebration. There was restored hope. 

“When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (John 16:21).

I believe that the same is true for the Church. We are in a time of cleansing, be it the cleansing of our sinful clergy or finding out who the true Mass-goers are after the pandemic. We are in a time that is testing how much we truly imitate Christ, be it in our unwavering beliefs or total, unselfish love for those who oppose our beliefs. (May we continue to pray for every one of these people with honest compassion.) We are strengthening our Church through truth and faith. 

In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells the blind man, “Have sight; your faith has saved you” (Luke 18:42). So in today’s labor pains, I ask that you continue to have faith. Have sight beyond what is happening now and have faith. 

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Pennsylvania. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various Catholic articles in bulletins, newspapers, e-newsletters, and blogs. She continued sharing her faith after graduation as a web content strategist and digital project manager. Today, she continues this mission in her current role as communications director and project manager for Pentecost Today USA, a Catholic Charismatic Renewal organization in Pittsburgh. 

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Be Vigilant at all Times

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I opened the Divine Office today, more specifically the Office of Readings in the Liturgy of the Hours, for additional insight on the readings for today.  St. Augustine wrote, “We love him, yet we fear his coming. Are we really certain that we love him? Or do we love our sins more?” Wait, what?! The idea really caught me off guard.

I had to read that a few more times. “We love him, yet we fear his coming. Are we really certain that we love him? Or do we love our sins more?”

St. Augustine certainly speaks quite directly.  His words emphasise the Gospel Acclamation today from Luke 21:36, “Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.”

NO! I don’t love my sins more. However there have been a whole lot of times in my life when I haven’t gone to confession with a sin I have committed or an action I omitted or failed to do. Either from embarrassment, shame, pride or being naive about a situation, it has kept me from being prepared for the coming of our Lord and Savior.

For example, I was speaking with a friend over the weekend and said something which was really me making a judgement about another. I said I needed to take that situation to confession.  My friend, however, heard it as a fact and felt it was a justified statement. In my heart, I knew I  was passing judgement on another, especially as I am aware that the person is having some short term memory issues.

I really believe that each of us does the best he/she can in any given situation. I have to be careful not to be self righteous. I have to be vigilant about not casting the first stone, as I too have made mistakes or misspoken, or been completely unaware of a greater situation than my narrow perspective. This is quite a slippery slope that quickly leads to sin.

Heavenly Father, Help me to be vigilant in my thoughts, and in my words. Please help me be aware of what I have failed to do and what I have done that separates me from you and your will to be done here on earth. Forgive me my sins as I forgive those who trespass against me. Help me to be aware of the temptations ahead of me today and every day so that I am on guard for when you do come again in glory at the end of time. Amen.

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Beth Price is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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Turning to God in Prayer

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As my family walked down the aisle to receive Holy Communion, I noticed my three-year-old approach the Eucharistic Minister with hands folded. When he reached her, he looked up at her with pleading eyes, hoping she would give him the sacred host. Instead, she placed her hand on top of his head, giving him a quick blessing. He turned away and began whining, then crying. He wanted to receive so badly! And while I know full well that he has no understanding of the Body of Christ just yet, I was touched by his yearning. 

Going to Mass and receiving Communion is one of the most powerful ways of praying, but what does it mean to “pray always” as Jesus talks about in today’s Gospel? 

Perhaps beginning with a morning offering to give our whole day to Christ.  Perhaps repeating the Jesus prayer over and over. Perhaps attending daily Mass. Perhaps fingering a rosary bracelet throughout the day. Perhaps offering up our daily chores, work, care of children, etc. to God for some intention. There are so many ways to pray!

But I question whether or not Jesus really meant by “pray always” to pray at every single minute of the day. I mean, He knows more than anyone how human we are. He knows we must attend to our tasks and that our hearts are not lifted up to Him 24/7. He knows that we often forget our Creator. 

Perhaps He meant rather, that we should always turn to Him in prayer. Pray when you are happy. Pray when you are sad. Pray in praise. Pray in Thanksgiving. Pray when you are in need. Pray when others are in need. Pray for the salvation of your soul and the souls of others. Whatever the situation may be, turn to God in prayer. 

Our souls thirst for God and he longs for us to come to Him. And whether our prayer be consistent, persistent, or scattered here and there, may we remember to pray always. 

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Tami Urcia 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 projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at her parish, 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 over 20 years.

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Preparing Daily

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“They were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building.” Today, maybe Jesus would say, “They were eating, drinking, watching, posting, zooming, working.” The days’ regular activities may have changed somewhat from when Jesus explored the idea of His second coming, but things really aren’t all that different.

Notice how in both lists, none of the activities listed include any type of worship, adoration or service to others. These are all inward-focused actions, though to be sure there are communal benefits to some of them. I am curious if Jesus’ message would have been softer, maybe less surprising, if the people had been regularly engaging in proper worship and kept themselves in right relationship with God. 

Jesus says people will be going about their days, looking down and looking in. Then, suddenly, things will radically change. People will be taken up without their neighbor’s knowledge. There will be no time to finish a harvest, send one more email, or pack a suitcase. When the Lord comes, there is no turning back, no second glances. 

This takes some planning, it takes practice. It means that your everyday life ought to be lived within an extra-ordinary reality. Yes, we must eat and drink. But we can do so in a manner that acknowledges God’s good gifts. Yes, we need to work, and in many cases, zoom or otherwise use technology to connect with others. But we do so in a way that does not put the technology first. God remains in our center, prayer before posting, Mass before mass email blasts. 

Jesus is speaking to us today. He is asking us to look at our priorities, our to-do lists. Where does He fit in? What are the most important things to get done today? How can you be prepared for His coming?

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Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at DailyGraces.net.

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Stay on Target

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In the first Star Wars movie made, “A New Hope,” the rebel forces (the good guys) are trying to destroy the formidable Death Star. On a mission to fire a shot into its only significant vulnerable point, one of the fighter jets barrels down a dangerous trench on the surface of the Death Star—enemies following closely on his tail. Suddenly, the flyer of the fighter jet starts to panic.  His fellow pilot exhorts his comrade in a steady, firm tone to, “Stay on target!” The first pilot continues to waver, and again, his companion urges him, “Stay on target!” (Spoiler alert…they are ultimately victorious.)

Today’s gospel reading reminds me of this scene from Star Wars. It is Jesus himself who reminds us to “stay on target.”

When the world seems to be going haywire, we, like the people in today’s Gospel reading, start to ask Jesus, “When, Lord, can we expect things to be put right? How much longer can this go on?” We are assaulted on every side: sex trafficking, gender ideology, terrorism, and even the buying and selling of aborted baby parts. “How long” indeed! There are no clear answers from our Lord to this question, but he remains faithful and so should we.

We do know that “the day of the Lord” will come unexpectedly, like the flood came in Noah’s time. Jesus warns his disciples, and he warns us, that we must not become distracted. “Do not go off, do not run in pursuit” of some sort of false messiah or sensational “answer to all our problems”.

We need to focus on the basics…that never changes. We are called by Christ to be steady, to continue as his faith followers, growing in virtue, keeping his commandments, abounding in charity. In the fight against the most formidable enemy we will ever have, we must “stay on target.” As it says in the Book of Proverbs 4:25-27, “Let your eyes look straight ahead and your gaze be focused forward. Turn neither to right nor to left…” Herein lies our victory!

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Christine Hanus is a thwarted idealist who, nevertheless, lives quite happily in Upstate NY. She is a wife and mother of five grown children.

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An Examination of Blessings

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In today’s gospel, Luke tells the story of Jesus healing ten lepers. All the lepers walk away, and only one returns to thank Him. Jesus says to him, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

Imagine being given such a gift and not thanking God for it!

We’re sometimes like the other nine lepers, aren’t we? God has given us so many gifts that we can’t even count them. Our gifts come in varying sizes. Some are tiny, some are huge, and some are in between. Yet we often get so bogged down in our daily lives that we go off and do things and forget to “return” to thank God for all He has given us. 

As we approach Thanksgiving and Advent, let us try something new. Just as we do an examination of conscience before confession, let us do a daily examination of blessings. Maybe we do this every morning, during an afternoon break, or before bed. Or better yet, maybe we keep a notepad nearby and jot down ideas throughout the day. But the point is to focus on the many, many blessings God has given us—and then to simply say “thank You, Lord.”

And as we focus on our blessings, let us also examine our difficulties and thank God for them too, for we can ask Him to help us use them for good. If we let them, our sufferings can turn into blessings. We can use them to grow closer to God. We can use them to grow spiritually or emotionally. We can offer up our sufferings for someone else to lessen his suffering. 

When we open ourselves up to goodness, a whole world of possibilities is available.

And when we do so, our attitude starts to change. We are no longer greedy and seeking “wants” but appreciative that God has taken care of our needs. We no longer see trials and tribulations as things that make us angry or bitter, but as ways to strengthen our relationship with God, as we work together—as a team—to create good.

My parents have a painting that hangs in their kitchen that features an older man praying over a dinner that consists of a simple loaf of bread and some soup. The caption reads: “In everything, give thanks.”

Let that be the principle we live by—today and every day.

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Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 17 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Eleven of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program-an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students.

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Perfect Justice and Perfect Mercy

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The National Basilica Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. is the largest church in the western hemisphere. The Byzantine structure rises high above the DC skyline, which is punctuated by famous buildings like the Washington Monument and the US Capitol. Each day, tour buses pull into the circular drive in front of the Shrine and unload droves of pilgrims to the steps of “Mary’s House” as locals call it.

Upon entering the cavernous basilica, any pilgrim’s eye will be drawn upward to a massive mosaic of Jesus that spans from the back wall of the Basilica onto the domed ceiling above the altar. If you look closely, you’ll notice that Jesus’s face is not symmetrical. One side of his gaze seems piercing, while the other is more relaxed. 

This asymmetry is intentional and communicates the genius of our Lord’s perfect justice and perfect mercy. We get a glimpse of this perfect justice and mercy in today’s Gospel from John 2:13-22 as well.

Today we read about the first of Jesus’ four visits to Jerusalem recorded in John’s Gospel. In the context of the Gospel, we read earlier in this chapter about Jesus’ first miracle, which was turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana. This miracle revealed Jesus’s identity but also his love for his mother since it was his mother who prompted the miracle (Jn 2:3-5). This miracle also reveals Jesus’s care for those around him. Jesus is kind, generous, and merciful. Perhaps his countenance was relaxed. 

Yet in this same chapter, we read that Jesus formed a whip out of cords and drove merchants and money changers out of the temple area and flipped over tables (Jn 2:15). This must have been a fierce sight to behold. But isn’t this scene a revelation of Jesus’s perfect justice and perfect mercy? Justice required that Jesus not allow anyone to defile his Father’s house. Mercy required it, too.

In this reading, Jesus’ disciples recalled the words of Scripture “Zeal for your house will consume me,” referencing Psalm 68:10. John is signaling that Jesus will allow himself to be consumed. Out of love for us, he paid the price of our sin through his crucifixion, and he offers us salvation. This is the embodiment of perfect justice and perfect mercy.  

How have you felt Jesus’s justice and mercy in your own life? Sometimes these experiences may be peaceful and miraculous like the Wedding at Cana. At other times, they may be uncomfortable, like the correction and rebuke at the temple. But with focus on Jesus’ with outstretched arms and his gaze from above, we can strive to better conform our lives to his.     

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We welcome new author, Elizabeth Tomlin!

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Asking for Faith

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What even is faith? More than just a blind leap to things we can’t know, faith is an acknowledgement that God is above us and we should trust him in the things he reveals. If the truths of the world are reasonable and we can believe them using logic, philosophy, and science, then faith is supra-reasonable. That is, it is beyond the physical world and allows us to enter into the very life of God. 

 Why so much talk about faith? Well, the Apostles knew how hard it was to believe some of the things Jesus said. In today’s Gospel they are encountered with teachings they may not quite understand. Their response was to pray for more faith. They call out to Jesus and ask him to make their faith stronger. 

 This shows us a couple of things. Sometimes we think that faith relies solely on us. Like we have to work really hard to gain faith and if we work even harder then our faith will grow. But here, it is made clear that having faith at all starts with God. He starts the process of faith. He is the one who makes faith possible for us. On top of that, the Gospel shows that if we ask for faith God is not only faithful but he is super faithful. If we even ask for faith the size of a mustard seed we will be able to do the seemingly impossible. 

So this all leads to a very important question. When was the last time you prayed for and expected faith from God? He is telling us to ask. He wants us to grow in faith every day and wants to bless us with these truths that are beyond the reason we can come to on our own. Do we believe that what Jesus said in this Gospel is true even today? Do we believe that with faith as small as a mustard seed we can do anything? If not, ask for the grace of faith. From all of us here at Rodzinka Ministry, God bless!

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Tommy Shultz is the Founder/Director of Rodzinka Ministry and a content specialist for Ruah Woods, a Theology of the Body Ministry. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. Tommy has a heart and 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. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith.

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Giving What We Are

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I love the widow’s mite, even as it challenges me every time to give of my substance and not my surplus. It is no act of great trust to give only what is left over AFTER I take care of my needs and probably my wants, and then, once I’m sure my own situation is provided for, give some of the surplus.

As I write this, I am on the couch with one of the most famous illnesses in the history of the world (after Bubonic Plague and the Spanish Flu, I’d guess) and unable to do much of anything. It is hard to be immobilized when you have several jobs, children, grandchildren, charitable activities, writing deadlines. There is a moment when you wonder, “What will happen?!” And then you recognize how the Lord reaches in, fills in the gaps, and makes sure that all the necessaries are actually attended to, that people are generous with their various assistances, and patience is the virtue that will win the day/week.

I also realized that very often the objective tasks we do (and we are definitely called to certain tasks, by our duties and responsibilities, the needs of the people before us, and the movements of the Spirit within us) can keep us from the deep self-examination that is the call to ongoing conversion. Being forced to hold still can bring this reality to the forefront.

So, as I wrestled a fever for what seemed like endless days, I felt that I “wasn’t doing anything.” But of course, I could be doing something if I accept this unavoidable difficulty as a gift from the Hand of God and offer it back to Him in love. Like the widow who dropped her few pennies into the temple treasury, I am able to give nothing more. It’s all I have. And it’s all God wants. Because it takes great trust to give something that seems so insignificant and know God can do great things with it.

So, the meditation for each of us is about how generously we give. Do we give of our surplus, or do we give to the Lord first, and then trust that the rest will be enough for us? Do we give what we choose to give, what is satisfying to us, or do we give in each moment whatever the Lord is asking us to give? Today it may be to endure this fever with patience, tomorrow it may be to do some great act of charity. Does our giving cost us anything? Or does it simply prop up our own idea of ourselves as generous (which is to make ourselves the actual recipient of our gift… which is no gift at all…)?

Lord, teach us to walk with you in every moment, so that we give of our substance, and give what you are inviting us to give, so that we are truly free.

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Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com

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