Bulletins for all seasons

Oración
Sencillez
Obediencia a la voluntad de Dios

Estos principios son la base del Caminito de Santa Teresa. En el Evangelio de hoy, Jesús les da a los Discípulos una idea de esta verdad que es una parte tan importante de la enseñanza de Santa Teresita. Seguir a Dios no se trata de grandes hazañas, sino de una inversión de poder que se encuentra donde los mansos y humildes son exaltados y los sabios y eruditos no logran comprender.

Este año escolar ha sido difícil lograr que mi hábito de oración matutina vuelva a ser una rutina. Tengo un cachorro que quiere levantarse mucho antes de la alarma y espera toda mi atención incluso antes de que abra los ojos. Hay mucho que hacer al comienzo del año escolar y es más fácil sacar mi computadora y marcar algunas cosas de mi lista de cosas por hacer en la mañana cuando la casa está tranquila.

Santa Teresa me recuerda que no solo ore… sino que sea sencilla. No necesito una rutina elaborada o una gran cantidad de tiempo. Simplemente detenerme para pedirle a Dios que mantenga todo mi trabajo en línea con su voluntad es suficiente.

Dios no busca grandes gestos, quiere ser incluido en nuestros momentos sencillos y cotidianos. Este año hemos incorporado más oración en nuestras rutinas diarias en la escuela. Por la mañana, antes de entrar a la escuela, los estudiantes y yo hablamos sobre las oportunidades de mostrar misericordia o bondad a los demás durante el día y luego rezamos el Acto de Caridad. Rezamos juntos antes de ir a almorzar. Hemos incorporado la oración después de comer mientras tomamos un par de respiraciones profundas y oramos juntos para hacer la transición de nuestros cuerpos y mentes de la diversión y la charla del comedor al enfoque del salón de clases.

Estas rutinas simples con mis alumnos me han llevado a agregar oraciones simples a las acciones rutinarias que realizo durante el día. Respiro, “Ven, Espíritu Santo” mientras prendo mi computadora. Mientras camino por la escuela y viendo de que las luces y la calefacción estén apagadas, le pido a nuestra Santísima Madre que cuide de aquellos que habitan esta sala durante gran parte del día. Dios no quiere grandes actos de mí, sino que incorpore la oración simple en todo lo que hago.

Estoy muy agradecida por Santa Teresita y su Caminito, un camino de humildad y de confianza infantil en nuestro Dios que nos acerca cada vez más a Su voluntad.

Oración
Sencillez
Obediencia a la voluntad de Dios

September 24, 2022September 20, 2022

Sheryl is happy to be the number 1 cheerleader and supporter for her husband, Tom who is a candidate for the Permanent Diaconate in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. They are so grateful for the opportunity to grow together in this process. Sheryl’s day job is serving her community as the principal for St. Therese Catholic School in Wayland, Michigan. Since every time she thinks she gets life all figured out, she realizes just how far she has to go, St. Rita of Cascia is her go-to Saint for intercession and help. Home includes Carlyn, a very, very goofy Golden Retriever and Lucy, our not-so-little rescue puppy.

Feature Image Credit: Tanaphong Toochinda, unsplash.com/photos/nZhHajBMDu0

In Every Age, O Lord / Por Todas las Edades, Señor

We have officially started fall, one of my favorite times of the year. I love the cooler weather, the need for a sweater in the mornings and the evenings. I am a teacher so it is a time of getting back into routine and nurturing our school community.

But today’s reading from Ecclesiastes doesn’t pull any punches. The things of earth are temporary. Whether we are young and full of vigor or getting on in years and wondering where our energy has gone, (Did I really argue with my Mom about going to bed at 9 pm?) we are only passing through a season of life. We need only look at the changing leaves to remember that seasons change.

When we build our lives on the things of this world, we become dependent on consistency, on a desire to control the sameness in our life. It gives us a sense of power and control. A sense of control that is an illusion.

Today’s readings offer us the opportunity to pause and reflect. We are reminded that what is happening around us is just a season and it will change. Our emotions and reactions to the world are fickle but God is not. When we can accept the seasons with grace and the confidence that “God’s got this”, we can say with the Psalmist, “In every age, O Lord, you have been our refuge.”

Regardless of what personal season you are experiencing today, take a moment to take refuge in God. The peace and love found there doesn’t change with the seasons.

Hemos comenzado oficialmente el otoño, una de mis temporadas favoritas. Me encanta el clima más fresco, la necesidad de ponerme un suéter por la mañana y por la noche. Soy maestra, y es un momento para volver a la rutina y nutrir a nuestra comunidad escolar.

Pero la lectura de hoy de Eclesiastés no llama mucho la atención. Las cosas de la tierra son temporales. Ya sea que seamos jóvenes y llenos de vigor o que estemos ya avanzados de edad y nos preguntemos dónde se ha ido nuestra energía (¿De verdad discutía con mi mamá acerca de irme a la cama a las 9:00pm?), solo estamos pasando por una temporada de la vida. Solo tenemos que mirar las hojas secas para recordar que las temporadas cambian.

Cuando construimos nuestras vidas sobre las cosas de este mundo, nos volvemos dependientes de la coherencia, del deseo de controlar la igualdad en nuestra vida. Nos da una sensación de poder y control, una sensación de control que es una ilusión.

Las lecturas de hoy nos ofrecen la oportunidad de pausar y reflexionar. Se nos recuerda que lo que sucede a nuestro alrededor es solo una temporada y cambiará. Nuestras emociones y reacciones al mundo son volubles, pero Dios no lo es. Cuando podemos aceptar las estaciones con gracia y la confianza de que “Dios tiene esto”, podemos decir con el salmista: “Tu eres, Señor, nuestro refugio” por todas las edades.

Independientemente de la temporada personal que estés experimentando hoy, tómate un momento para refugiarte en Dios. La paz y el amor que se encuentran allí no cambian con las temporadas.

September 1, 2022August 29, 2022

Feature Image Credit: Chris Lawton, unsplash.com/photos/5IHz5WhosQE

Following in Peter’s Footsteps / Siguiendo en las Huellas de San Pedro

In the Gospel of Luke today, Jesus calls Peter to follow him. While Jesus was asking Peter to fill a unique role in the Kingdom of God, (After all, there can only be one first Pope, right?) we can use the path that Peter follows as a guide for our own faith journey.

In Luke’s retelling, Jesus had already gained a following before assembling the group later called “Disciples”. This means that when Jesus asked Peter to use his boat to teach to the crowds, Peter had already heard of Jesus. He knew Jesus was drawing crowds. He allowed Jesus to use his boat and heard what Jesus had to say for himself. When Jesus told Peter to put the nets down one more time, Peter politely informed him that they had already been at work all night, but he humored Jesus and put the nets down one more time. The nets were overflowing and Peter acknowledged Jesus as more than just another prophet. “Leave me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” Jesus called and Peter left everything to follow Him.

Peter heard about Jesus. Peter heard Jesus speak. Jesus asked Peter for something entirely doable and Jesus went beyond Peter’s expectations. Peter realized the only logical response to meeting God was to confess one’s sins, give up everything and follow Him.

Just like Peter, God doesn’t ask us for more than we can do and when we comply with his requests, God goes beyond our wildest expectations. We get ourselves up out of bed on Sundays, brush our teeth and head to Mass. God asks for just a bit of our time, and he responds with a total gift of himself; body, blood, soul, and divinity. God asks us to come to him when we have done wrong or sinned, and he responds with a free gift of grace and another opportunity to start again. Whenever we give just a tiny bit of ourselves, God gives us back so much more.

When faced with such goodness, such immense love, like Peter, there is nothing we should do except leave everything behind and follow. But leaving behind isn’t easy for us humans. Peter left behind his livelihood, his family tradition of fishing, the community of fishermen who had lived and worked together for generations. Once he encountered Jesus, he was willing to leave it all, to follow God’s plan. And just look at what came of that!

We can reflect on what we are to give up. What are those habits and ways of life which are comfortable and familiar, but to fully follow Jesus, we need to leave them behind? What are the habits of our current world, the mass media, the constant availability of dopamine-inducing content that hijack our brain and our time?

We have heard about Jesus. We have heard Jesus speak through others. Jesus is asking us to follow him. What we need to do, like Peter, is follow him completely.

En el Evangelio de Lucas de hoy, Jesús llama a Pedro a seguirlo. Mientras Jesús le pedía a Pedro que desempeñara un papel único en el Reino de Dios (después de todo, solo puede haber un solo primer Papa, ¿verdad?), podemos usar el camino que sigue Pedro como guía para nuestro propio camino de fe.

En el recuento de Lucas, Jesús ya había ganado seguidores antes de reunir al grupo que más tarde se llamaría “Discípulos”. Esto significa que cuando Jesús le pidió a Pedro que usara su barca para enseñar a la multitud, Pedro ya había oído hablar de Jesús. Sabía que Jesús estaba atrayendo multitudes. Permitió que Jesús usara su bote y escuchó lo que Jesús tenía que decir por sí mismo. Cuando Jesús le dijo a Pedro que bajara las redes una vez más, Pedro le informó cortésmente que ya habían estado trabajando toda la noche, pero le siguió la corriente a Jesús y bajó las redes una vez más. Las redes estaban desbordadas y Pedro reconoció a Jesús como algo más que un profeta más. “Déjame, Señor, que soy un hombre pecador”. Jesús lo llamó y Pedro dejó todo para seguirlo.

Pedro oyó acerca de Jesús. Pedro escuchó a Jesús hablar. Jesús le pidió a Pedro algo completamente factible y Jesús fue más allá de las expectativas de Pedro. Pedro se dio cuenta de que la única respuesta lógica para encontrarse con Dios era confesar los pecados, renunciar a todo y seguirlo.

Al igual que Pedro, Dios no nos pide más de lo que podemos hacer y cuando cumplimos con sus pedidos, Dios va más allá de nuestras expectativas más grandes. Los domingos nos levantamos de la cama, nos cepillamos los dientes y vamos a misa. Dios pide un poco de nuestro tiempo y responde con un don total de sí mismo; cuerpo, sangre, alma y divinidad. Dios nos pide que acudamos a él cuando hemos hecho algo malo o cuando hemos pecado, y él responde con un regalo gratuito de gracia y otra oportunidad para comenzar de nuevo. Cada vez que damos un poco de nosotros mismos, Dios nos devuelve mucho más.

Ante tanta bondad, tan inmenso amor, como Pedro, no hay nada que debamos hacer sino dejar todo y seguirlo. Pero dejar todo no es fácil para nosotros los seres humanos. Pedro dejó atrás su medio de vida, su tradición familiar de pesca, la comunidad de pescadores que habían vivido y trabajado juntos durante generaciones. Una vez que se encontró con Jesús, estuvo dispuesto a dejarlo todo para seguir el plan de Dios. ¡Y mira lo que salió de eso!

Podemos reflexionar sobre lo que debemos renunciar. ¿Cuáles son esos hábitos y formas de vida que son cómodos y familiares, pero para seguir completamente a Jesús, debemos dejarlos atrás? ¿Cuáles son los hábitos de nuestro mundo actual, los medios de comunicación, la disponibilidad constante de contenido inductor de dopamina que secuestra nuestro cerebro y nuestro tiempo?

Hemos oído hablar de Jesús. Hemos escuchado a Jesús hablar a través de otros. Jesús nos pide que lo sigamos. Lo que tenemos que hacer, como Pedro, es seguirlo completamente.

August 22, 2022August 19, 2022

Feature Image Credit: Pascal Müller, unsplash.com/photos/jyFynzFZ9-4

Fulfillment of Every Effort of Faith / El Cumplimiento de Cada Esfuerzo de Fe

“We always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and powerfully bring to fulfillment every good purpose and every effort of faith, that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 11-12

What a beautiful passage for celebrating the Queenship of Mary!

I try to picture Mary, going through her daily life. She has her daily routine, those tasks performed out of necessity and love for those around her. As she moves from one task to another, suddenly the word of God enters in; first through the words of the angel and then through the breath of the Holy Spirit and finally through her Son, Jesus.

Like Mary, we move through our daily lives. We keep our homes. We perform our jobs. We shop. We garden. We wash grubby little hands. We do all the little 1001 tasks needed to simply live from day to day. In the midst of all that, our Lord enters. He doesn’t enter in with fanfare and a marching band, but is found quietly in all the little things. We don’t have to be worthy of him on our own, but he makes us worthy when we include him. He comes to us in the silent prayer of gratitude said over a sink full of dishes. He is with us in whispered prayers for protection as a loved one leaves home for work or school. He stands beside us in the worried wondering of when we will find our next meal. He even joins us in the unspoken desire to find His presence in the tedium of yet another meeting. In all these places and so many more, our God enters in and brings fulfillment to our good purposes and efforts in faith.

Faith is a theological virtue infused into us at baptism and sealed within us at confirmation. It is brought into fulfillment through all those teeny tiny acts of faith performed each and every day.

Let us follow our Queen and Mother’s example of ascent to our Lord’s presence in our daily lives. Along with St. Paul, let us pray for one another that we continue to find God in all the little moments, “that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, in accord with the grace of our God and Lord Jesus Christ.”

“Oramos siempre por ustedes, para que Dios los haga dignos de la vocación a la que los ha llamado, y con su poder lleve a efecto tanto los buenos propósitos que han formado, como lo que ya han emprendido por la fe. Así glorificarán a nuestro Señor Jesús y él los glorificará a ustedes en la medida en que actúe en ustedes la gracia de nuestro Dios y de Jesucristo, el Señor.” 2 Tesalonicenses 11-12

¡Qué hermoso pasaje para celebrar el Reinado de María!

Trato de imaginarme a María, pasando por su vida diaria. Ella tiene su rutina diaria, esas tareas realizadas por necesidad y amor por quienes la rodean. Al pasar de una tarea a otra, de repente entra la palabra de Dios; primero a través de las palabras del ángel y luego a través del soplo del Espíritu Santo y finalmente a través de su Hijo, Jesús.

Como María, nos movemos por nuestra vida cotidiana. Mantenemos nuestras casas. Realizamos nuestro trabajo. Vamos de compras. Tendemos al jardín. Lavamos las manitas sucias. Hacemos todas las 1001 pequeñas tareas necesarias para simplemente vivir el día a día. En medio de todo eso, entra nuestro Señor. No entra con fanfarria y una banda de música, sino que se encuentra en el silencio en todas las pequeñas cosas. No tenemos que ser dignos de él por nosotros mismos, pero él nos hace dignos cuando lo incluimos. Viene a nosotros en la oración silenciosa de gratitud dicha sobre un lavadero lleno de platos. Está con nosotros en las oraciones susurradas pidiendo protección cuando un ser querido se va de la casa al trabajo o a la escuela. Está a nuestro lado cuando nos preguntamos con preocupación cuándo encontraremos nuestra próxima comida. Incluso se une a nosotros en el deseo tácito de encontrar Su presencia en el tedio de una nueva reunión. En todos estos lugares y en tantos más, nuestro Dios entra y da cumplimiento a nuestros buenos propósitos y esfuerzos en la fe.

La fe es una virtud teológica infundida en nosotros en el bautismo y sellada dentro de nosotros en la confirmación. Se lleva a cabo a través de todos esos pequeños actos de fe realizados todos los días.

Sigamos el ejemplo de nuestra Reina y Madre de subir a la presencia de nuestro Señor en nuestras vidas diarias. Junto con san Pablo, oremos los unos por los otros para que sigamos encontrando a Dios en todos los pequeños momentos. “Así glorificarán a nuestro Señor Jesús y él los glorificará a ustedes en la medida en que actúe en ustedes la gracia de nuestro Dios y de Jesucristo, el Señor.”

August 3, 2022August 1, 2022

Feature Image Credit: Tracey Hocking, unsplash.com/photos/sUTjF7ckvAM

The Lord Will Guard Us as a Shepherd Guards His Flock / El Señor Será Nuestro Pastor

Shepherds use a tool called a shepherd’s hook. It is used to beat off those who would hurt the flock, to support weak or hurt sheep and to draw back a sheep who is wandering off.

Today’s Gospel is somewhat like the shepherd’s staff, a seemingly simple tool with multiple purposes.

As the pagan woman approaches Jesus to beg for help for her daughter, Jesus brushes her off. It seems even the disciples are taken aback and appeal to Jesus to give the woman what she wants. (Although we can’t be sure that the disciples didn’t just want her to get what she wanted so she would leave them alone.) We expect Jesus to lift this woman up and draw her close, but it feels more like he is pushing her away.

We have to take a closer look at the context of this story. Matthew tells us that the woman is a Cannanite. In the Old Testament, the Cannanites are characterized as evil and sinful idolaters. There is a history between the pagan Cannanites and the Isrealites and it is a history of division. There is a huge cultural gulf between this woman and Jesus’s followers. It is at this point that Jesus seemingly treats the woman harshly. Jesus wants the disciples to become aware that they themselves hold this woman to be “less than” because she is not one of God’s chosen people.

“It is not right to take the little children’s food and give it to the dogs.” This statement doesn’t reflect how Jesus viewed the woman, it reflects the attitude of the disciples. The words hold up a mirror for the disciples to examine their own cultural biases and their own openness to really reaching out to the people around them.

The woman had started by calling Jesus, “the Son of David”. She knew enough to call Jesus by this name. Was that a spark of faith? By responding to Jesus that even the dogs can eat the scraps left by the children, she went beyond a simple faith born from hope that her daughter could be healed, to a recognition that Jesus could help more than just the Chosen People. Her faith brings about an invitation to salvation.

We too can feel the shepherd’s crook in our lives. When we are weak and in danger, we can be lifted and drawn back to God’s heart. But we can also feel the sting of Jesus’ words. How open are we to all of our brothers and sisters? Do we care more for our own plans and worldview or are we willing to open our hearts and minds to love as Jesus loves? Do we share the invitation to salvation we have received with all those in our little corner of the world?

Los pastores utilizan una herramienta llamada el bastón del pastor. Se usa para ahuyentar a los que harían daño al rebaño, para apoyar a las ovejas débiles o lastimadas y para hacer regresar a una oveja que se está alejando.

El Evangelio de hoy es algo así como el bastón del pastor, una herramienta aparentemente simple con múltiples propósitos.

Cuando la mujer pagana se acerca a Jesús para pedir ayuda para su hija, Jesús la ignora. Parece que incluso los discípulos se sorprenden y apelan a Jesús para que le dé a la mujer lo que quiere. (Aunque no podemos estar seguros de que los discípulos no solo querían que ella obtuviera lo que quería para que los dejara en paz). Esperamos que Jesús levante a esta mujer y la acerque, pero más parece como si la estuviera empujándo para afuera.

Tenemos que echar un vistazo más de cerca al contexto de esta historia. Mateo nos dice que la mujer es cannanita. En el Antiguo Testamento, los cannanitas se caracterizan como idólatras malvados y pecadores. Hay una historia entre los cannanitas paganos y los israelitas y es una historia de división. Hay un enorme abismo cultural entre esta mujer y los seguidores de Jesús. Es en este punto que Jesús aparentemente trata a la mujer con dureza. Jesús quiere que los discípulos tomen conciencia de que ellos mismos consideran a esta mujer como “menos que” porque no es una de las elegidas de Dios.

“No está bien quitarles el pan a los hijos para echárselo a los perritos”. Esta declaración no refleja cómo Jesús vio a la mujer, refleja la actitud de los discípulos. Las palabras sostienen un espejo para que los discípulos examinen sus propios prejuicios culturales y su propia apertura para llegar realmente a las personas que los rodean.

La mujer había comenzado llamando a Jesús, “el Hijo de David”. Ella sabía lo suficiente como para llamar a Jesús por este nombre. ¿Fue eso una chispa de fe? Al responder a Jesús que incluso los perros pueden comerse las sobras que dejan los niños, ella fue más allá de una simple fe nacida de la esperanza de que su hija pudiera ser sanada, al reconocer de que Jesús podía ayudar más que al Pueblo Elegido. Su fe suscita una invitación a la salvación.

Nosotros también podemos sentir el bastón del pastor en nuestras vidas. Cuando somos débiles y estamos en peligro, podemos ser levantados y acercados de nuevo al corazón de Dios. Pero también podemos sentir el aguijón de las palabras de Jesús. ¿Qué tan abiertos estamos a todos nuestros hermanos y hermanas? ¿Nos preocupamos más por nuestros propios planes y visión del mundo o estamos dispuestos a abrir nuestros corazones y mentes para amar como Jesús ama? ¿Compartimos la invitación a la salvación que hemos recibido con todos aquellos en nuestro pequeño rincón del mundo?

July 23, 2022July 20, 2022

Feature Image Credit: Angie Menes, www.cathopic.com/photo/14748-buen-pastor

Walls / Las Paredes

“Something there is that doesn’t love a wall”

This is the first line from one of my all time favorite poems, The Mending Wall by Robert Frost.

As human beings, we love to sort and sift. We build walls and boundaries to keep some in and others out. Adam started by naming the animals. Dog, cat, platypus, once a thing was named one thing, it was also walled off as not something else; as soon as a thing was named a dog, then it could no longer be lumped with the cats or the platypuses. It is built into us, this inward desire to name and categorize; rooted in our desire to be accepted and to know what makes us acceptable. However, when we sift and sort other human beings, “Are you a dog person or a cat person, or a platypus person?” We are not saying so much about others as we are about our own need to be wanted and accepted. This desire we have to be accepted, is built into us to help draw us to God, who loves and accepts us in all our brokenness and sin. Our heart is created restless so we can learn to let it rest in you, God, to paraphrase St. Augustine.

We can see from today’s parable, this urge to decide who is in and who is out, isn’t a modern phenomena. Two thousand years ago, people wanted to know who was good and who wasn’t. Who was in the club and who was out. In the poetic language of Robert Frost, Who do we wall in and who do we wall out?

Jesus flips the whole question on its head. (We should know when we read a parable that we are about to have our worldview turned upside down. If a parable doesn’t challenge us, then we are probably missing the point.)

We aren’t supposed to worry about who belongs and who doesn’t. The kingdom of heaven isn’t some far off place for someday if we are good enough. The kingdom of heaven starts here and now because Jesus is good and is more than enough to make up for our shortcomings. Jesus is really clear, our job isn’t to sift and sort, to wall in or wall out. Our job is to help build the kingdom of heaven here and now and the kingdom of heaven is for everyone. Just perhaps, our desire to build walls, to wall things in and wall things out, is a manifestation of our attempt to do God’s job instead of our own. He will sift and sort at the end of time. Our task is to build loving communities which work together for justice and peace. A good first step would be to stop seeing people in terms of labels and to ask God to help us to see with His eyes to the heart. Even in this, God doesn’t leave us on our own. We have the Sacrament of the Eucharist where we are transformed by Jesus from the inside out. Through this most intimate of communions with our God, we can see with His eyes and love with His heart. Then we can trust that when the real sorting comes later, we won’t need to worry about which side of the wall we will find ourselves.

“Before I built a wall I’d ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

and to whom I was like to give offense.

Something there is that doesn’t love a wall.

That wants it down.”

“Hay algo que no hace amar a un muro”

Esta es la primera línea de uno de mis poemas más favoritos, The Mending Wall (La Pared de Reparación) de Robert Frost.

Como seres humanos, nos encanta clasificar y filtrar. Construimos muros y límites para mantener a unos dentro y a otros fuera. Adán comenzó nombrando a los animales. Perro, gato, ornitorrinco, una vez que una cosa fue nombrada una cosa, también fue bloqueada para que no fuera otra cosa; tan pronto como una cosa se llamaba perro, ya no podía agruparse con los gatos o los ornitorrincos. Este deseo interno de nombrar y categorizar está integrado en nosotros; arraigado en nuestro deseo de ser aceptados y de saber qué nos hace aceptables. Sin embargo, cuando filtramos y clasificamos a otros seres humanos, “¿A ti te gustan los perros o los gatos o los ornitorrincos?” No estamos hablando tanto de los demás como de nuestra propia necesidad de ser queridos y aceptados. Este deseo que tenemos de ser aceptados está integrado en nosotros para ayudarnos a acercarnos a Dios, quien nos ama y nos acepta a pesar de que somos quebrantados y pecadores. Como dice San Agustín, nuestro corazón fue creado inquieto para que aprendamos a dejarlo descansar en ti, Dios.

Podemos ver en la parábola de hoy, este impulso de decidir quién está dentro y quién está fuera, no es un fenómeno moderno. Hace dos mil años, la gente quería saber quién era bueno y quién no. Quién estaba en el club y quién estaba fuera. En el lenguaje poético de Robert Frost, ¿a quién encerramos dentro y a quién encerramos fuera?

Jesús le da la vuelta a la pregunta. (Debemos saber cuando leemos una parábola que estamos a punto de cambiar nuestra visión del mundo. Si una parábola no nos desafía, entonces lo más probable es que no hemos entendido el punto).

Se supone que no debemos preocuparnos por quién pertenece y quién no. El reino de los cielos no es un lugar lejano para algún día si somos lo suficientemente buenos. El reino de los cielos comienza aquí y ahora porque Jesús es bueno y es más que suficiente para suplir nuestras deficiencias. Jesús es muy claro, nuestro trabajo no es filtrar y clasificar, incluir o excluir. Nuestro trabajo es ayudar a construir el reino de los cielos aquí y ahora y el reino de los cielos es para todos. Tal vez, nuestro deseo de construir muros, de encerrar cosas adentro y de encerrar cosas afuera, demuestra como intentamos hacer el trabajo de Dios en lugar del nuestro. Él filtrará y clasificará al final de los tiempos. Nuestra tarea es construir comunidades amorosas que trabajen juntas por la justicia y la paz. Un buen primer paso sería dejar de ver a las personas en términos de etiquetas y pedirle a Dios que nos ayude a ver con Sus ojos, por el corazón. Incluso en esto, Dios no nos deja solos. Tenemos el Sacramento de la Eucaristía donde somos transformados por Jesús de adentro hacia afuera. A través de esta íntima comunión con nuestro Dios, podemos ver con Sus ojos y amar con Su corazón. Entonces podemos confiar en que cuando llegue la clasificación verdadera más tarde, no tendremos que preocuparnos por cual lado de la pared nos encontraremos.

“Antes de construir un muro, preguntaría para saber
Lo que estaba encerrando dentro o encerrando fuera,
y a quien quisiera ofender.
Hay algo que no hace amar a un muro.
Que lo quiere tumbar.

Feature Image Credit: By Author

July 3, 2022July 3, 2022

Practice / La Práctica

We most closely image God when we are in union with one another. It is together, in the giving and receiving of love, that we image God and give others a glimpse of His great love.

Today the Old Testament gives us also the imagery of Jerusalem as a nursing mother. The Church is the new Jerusalem and Mother Church feeds the world when we, within the Church, share of our very selves. But we cannot share what we don’t have, this is why we must practice our faith. Practice in the same way we use the word when we talk about practicing a skill. I am not saying faith is a skill, but living out our faith is made more fruitful when we stretch our “faith muscles” and that happens with practice.

We practice when we attend Mass, not from a sense of obligation, but from a desire to open ourselves up further to Jesus Christ. We practice when we extend attending Mass, not just on Sunday but as part of our daily lives. We practice when we receive Jesus Christ, not simply as part of a sacred ritual, but so that He is able to transform us. We practice when we receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation so we are better prepared to receive God’s graces. We practice when we take time to be alone with God. We practice when we read Scripture and the Church Fathers. We practice when we pray, write, and listen quietly. The more we practice, the more are we are prepared to do His will.

What’s more, we don’t do these things for our benefit alone. We do them so that like the disciples in today’s Gospel, we are prepared to carry God’s peace and mercy out into the world. We may not perform miracles or cast out demons, but we can lighten another’s load. We can notice those who need our smile or our hand. We can walk alongside those who haven’t yet experienced God’s grace and peace and share what we have received. For those who don’t want that, we shake the dust from our feet and move on so that in all we do we maintain our peace. Then we can rejoice with the original disciples, not because spirits are subject to us, but because our name too will be written in heaven.

After all, isn’t that our goal, to get to heaven and bring along as many people as possible? Let’s practice for that union now and get a glimpse of heaven here on earth.

April 18, 2022April 28, 2022

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Hacemos mejor representación de Dios cuando estamos en unión el uno con el otro. Estando juntos, en el dar y recibir amor, reflejamos a Dios y les damos a otros un vistazo de Su gran amor.

Hoy el Antiguo Testamento nos da también la imagen de Jerusalén como madre lactante. La Iglesia es la nueva Jerusalén y la Madre Iglesia alimenta al mundo cuando nosotros, dentro de la Iglesia, compartimos de nosotros mismos. Pero no podemos compartir lo que no tenemos, por eso debemos practicar nuestra fe. Hablo de la práctica de la misma forma cuando hablamos de practicar una habilidad. No estoy diciendo que la fe sea una habilidad, pero vivir nuestra fe se vuelve más fructífero cuando estiramos nuestros “músculos de fe” y eso sucede con la práctica.

Practicamos cuando asistimos a Misa, no por un sentido de obligación, sino por un deseo de abrirnos más a Jesucristo. Practicamos cuando extendemos la asistencia a Misa, no solo los domingos sino como parte de nuestra vida diaria. Practicamos cuando recibimos a Jesucristo, no simplemente como parte de un ritual sagrado, sino para que Él pueda transformarnos. Practicamos cuando recibimos el Sacramento de la Reconciliación para estar mejor preparados para recibir las gracias de Dios. Practicamos cuando tomamos tiempo para estar a solas con Dios. Practicamos cuando leemos las Escrituras y los Padres de la Iglesia. Practicamos cuando oramos, escribimos y escuchamos en silencio. Mientras más practicamos, más preparados estamos para hacer Su voluntad.

Además, no hacemos estas cosas solo para nuestro beneficio. Las hacemos para que, como los discípulos en el Evangelio de hoy, estemos preparados para llevar la paz y la misericordia de Dios al mundo. Puede que no hagamos milagros ni expulsemos demonios, pero podemos aligerar la carga de los demás. Podemos fijarnos en aquellos que necesitan nuestra sonrisa o nuestra mano. Podemos caminar junto a aquellos que aún no han experimentado la gracia y la paz de Dios y compartir lo que hemos recibido. Para los que no quieren eso, nos sacudimos el polvo de los pies y seguimos adelante para que en todo lo que hagamos mantengamos la paz. Entonces podremos regocijarnos con los primeros discípulos, no porque los espíritus estén sujetos a nosotros, sino porque nuestros nombres también estarán escritos en el cielo.

Después de todo, ¿no es ese nuestro objetivo, llegar al cielo y traer a muchas personas con nosotros? Practiquemos para esa unión ahora y echemos un vistazo al cielo aquí en la tierra.

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Fearful Yet Overjoyed

August 10, 2021August 17, 2021

Think back on a moment of life where everything changed. One of those crystal moments, where you know things will never be the same. Think of that moment when something you had been looking forward to became real; you were accepted at college, got your dream job, the moment your vocation became clear, the day of your marriage, the birth of your child.

These are such happy spots in our earthly lives! We are overcome with joy and delight. And, often, then reality sinks in. Can I cut it in college? What if I can’t? What if I am not as good at this job as I think I will be? Can I really spend the rest of my earthly life this way? Am I willing to give everything to get this person to heaven? What if I fail as a parent? How does this change tomorrow? Will anything in my life ever be the same?

The same can happen as we experience the joy of Easter. Christ is risen, Alleluia! Something so minor as death cannot overtake our Lord!

But the questions come, what does this mean to me? Is Easter simply the ending of my Lenten penance? Can I now go back to eating chocolate and putting cream in my coffee without giving it another thought? Can I pick up that weekly grande latte again rather than giving to someone in greater need? Do I just pick up where I left off on Mardi Gras like Lent (and Easter) never happened? What has to change in my life because Jesus has risen? How does this change tomorrow? Will anything in my life ever be the same?

The Church, in her infinite motherly wisdom, again provides. Easter is not a single day after which we put away the bunnies and baskets and go back to our daily routine. Easter is a season which begins with the rising of Jesus and ends with the descent of the Holy Spirit as the grand finale! Lent was 40 days. Easter gives us 50 days to soak it all in. We have time to meditate on the reality of Easter, not to be fearful but to let our senses, honed by abstinence and penance, truly consider what it means to serve a risen Lord. Our Lenten penance isn’t a thing of the past, it is now the prepared bedding where our Easter joy takes root. Our hearts and souls are ready to turn back to God for this time of grace and joy.

My prayer for you is that you are able to spend this Easter, all of Easter, not as a “getting back to normal” but as a time to find a new normal. To integrate in new ways, what it means to serve the One who overcame death through love. Like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, may your joy at Easter so fill your heart that you run to share the news of Christ’s love with all you meet.

Easter blessings!

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Sheryl gratefully serves the St. Therese Catholic School community as both the kindergarten teacher and the school principal. When not teaching, she takes the roll of student as she studies with her husband who is in formation to be Deacon in the Diocese of Kalamazoo. Their home is kept lively by their golden retriever, Carlyn and new puppy, Lucy.

St. Lawrence

**Due to server issues, this post was not published on 8/10/21, so we are posting it now.**

“This side is done. Turn me over and take a bite.”

My amazing husband is an incredible cook. When he used to compete competitively for BBQ, a picture of St. Lawrence always accompanied us. Lawrence was one of the seven deacons of Rome who was martyred until the persecution by the Roman Emperor Valerian. It is reported that St. Lawrence was put to death on a gridiron and told his torturers, “This side is done. Turn me over and take a bite.”

While the odds of any of us being martyred on a gridiron are pretty low. The need for martyrs is no less and today’s Gospel guides us in how to lay down our lives every single day. We may not die a martyr’s death, but we can offer up our daily lives. If we choose daily, to die to ourselves, to move beyond our preferences and the things of this world which bring us a sense of comfort and security, our lives will produce much fruit by drawing others to God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus tells us straight out, that whoever loves his life will lose it. In Corinthians we hear, “Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” When I offer up my place in line, when I give the driver next to me the right of way, when that parishioner who always sings off key sits behind me at Mass, do I give up my wants and preferences cheerfully? When that one person who drives me nuts at work asks me a favor, do I do it as happily as I would for others?

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will also my servant be.”

We follow St. Lawrence’s example when we offer up all those little irritations and cheerfully say, “Lord, I follow you.”

This side is done, Lord, turn me over and give me another chance to offer myself up to you!

July 24, 2021July 22, 2021

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

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That’s His Job

“To some God and Jesus may appeal in a way other than to us: some may come to faith in God and to love, without a conscious attachment to Jesus. Both nature and good men besides Jesus may lead us to God. They who seek God with all their hearts must, however, some day on their way meet Jesus.”

-Heinrich Weinel and Alban G. Widgery, Jesus in the Nineteenth Century and After

Last Sunday, in the Old Testament reading, we heard God’s promise to a suffering people that he would take care of them. God’s fulfillment of that promise is Jesus, his very Son.

Today, we hear the parable of the Sower of the Good Seed. It was a smack-my-head moment, one of those, why didn’t I ever see this before moments of clarity. I spend way too much time focusing on the wrong part of the job. We love to see the fruits of our labors. Our society values those who complete a process, those who “bring home the bacon”, who reap what they sow. But the reaping, bringing in the crops, just plain isn’t my job. I don’t get to decide what (or who) is good and truly beautiful. I don’t make the call as to what (or who) is worthy of the Kingdom of God. I am not called to harvest the crop and everytime I become more concerned with how it all turns out, I am off task. I am not called to harvest the crop, I am called to sow the crop. Jesus will handle the harvesting, that’s His job, that is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise.

It isn’t my job to worry about what people do after they meet Jesus. My job is to live my life in such a way, that each and every action I take is a sowing of good seed. The more good seed I sow, the more likely the people I encounter will have the opportunity of encountering Jesus through me. Jesus doesn’t deal with people the way we do. When Jesus encounters someone, he leaves them changed forever. But before that can happen, the seeds have to be planted. They have to blossom and be like the sunflower gardens that invite you to get lost in the beauty and eventually to look up beyond the flowers and see the sun itself.

So for today, I am going to let go of my vision of what things should be like, and I am going to put my effort into the part of the Kingdom God has placed in my care. I am going to sow seeds of love and acceptance. I am going to stand for those who have no one else to stand for them. I am going to go outside of what makes me comfortable to give comfort to others. Then, just maybe, they will get lost in the beauty and look beyond this world and see the Son himself.

He’ll bring them home, that’s His job. I just need to sow the seeds.

July 10, 2021July 9, 2021

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Proclaim His Wondrous Deeds

To proclaim something, we have to know it. To know something, we need to give it our attention.

Recently, I was asked how God was working in my life. And I went blank. I mean, absolutely blank. I could have listed all the things I was doing, how school was going, what we were doing to keep life busy, but when it came to how God was working in my life, I didn’t have one single thing to say.

I was horrified. I am still embarrassed.

There isn’t one thing in my life that isn’t an incredible gift from God, yet in that moment I couldn’t come up with anything.

My days are filled with a multitude of tiny and wondrous ways God is active in my life. I have a husband I love. I have a job I love. I have a wonderful home with a wren who comes and sings on my deck as I drink my morning coffee. I have a dog who snuggles extra tight during thunderstorms. It wasn’t that God isn’t present and active for me, it was that I hadn’t stayed present to God. I had not been giving God my attention. I had not maintained a sense of gratitude or kept a vigilant eye for all the miracles that surround me everyday.

This is when I need to go to confession; when I become so busy, so sure of myself that I forget I am only capable of taking my next breath because God purposefully holds me in the palm of His hand. All that I do and all that I have is gift, freely given.

I am not called to do great public acts but I am called to keep my mind and heart open to all the daily ways God’s grace is present in my life. When I give God’s actions my attention, I can come to know Him and His will for me. When I know God well, I am able to proclaim all his wondrous deeds, not just when I am asked, but through all that I do each and every day, so each and every act becomes a prayer of praise to Him.

Today, my prayer is that you are able to stop and become more aware of how God is working in your life so that with the Psalmist, we can proclaim God’s wondrous deeds together!

June 24, 2021June 23, 2021

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Joy in His Presence

John the Baptist was in such anticipation of his relationship with Jesus that he lept within his mother’s womb.

Today, we celebrate the birth of this man who was so excited about being with Jesus, that he couldn’t even wait to be born before turning cartwheels out of the joy of being close to Jesus.

This is a man who as an adult lived in the wilderness, wore “camel’s hair” garments, and preached repentance. He ate locusts and wild honey. You have to think John the Baptist kind of stood out in a crowd, and not always in a good way.

To the people of his day, John’s clothing would have evoked thoughts of the prophets, most notably Elijah. His diet would have been that of the poorest of the poor and would have been in stark contrast to the wealthier of the Jews; the ones who found success in cooperating with the Romans. John didn’t seek out crowds, he lived an ascetic lifestyle so severe that some thought he may have been possessed by a demon. (Mt 11:18)

Yet for all his roughness and anti-establishment lifestyle, multitudes of people sought him out. They listened to his message and were baptized. John’s message of preparing for the coming messiah spoke to the emptiness in the hearts of people and they believed the truth.

The truth speaks to the hidden parts of people. It fills them up and the joy just bubbles out and attracts others. Joy isn’t brought about by the stuff of this word, the trappings of our earthly lives. Joy comes from being near the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

How can we be a little more like John the Baptist? When John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb, Jesus was hidden in the womb of Mary. Every time we approach the altar, we are near Jesus hidden in the bread and wine. I am not suggesting anyone do cartwheels down the aisle at Mass, but do we approach Jesus with joy and anticipation? Do we take the time to prepare our hearts and minds to fully be present to Jesus as he comes to us? Do we go away from our encounter with him changed in heart and mind? Do we live the truth of the Eucharist with so much joy that others are drawn to us, so that like John the Baptist, we too can point them to Jesus and say, “Behold the Lamb of God”?