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Pray, Hope, Don’t Worry

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When I taught preschool, we put this phrase to the tune of “Old MacDonald’s Farm.” When I run into the parents of my former students, I often hear about how they are still singing, “Pray, Hope, Don’t Worry.” 

What a great way to live! 

This famous phrase of Padre Pio can ground us in such uncertain times. 

There is so much happening around us which is beyond our control, we need to get real with ourselves about what we can control, and the answer to ”What can I really control?” is very often, “Not much.” We don’t control the world around us, we don’t control much of what happens to us. What we do control is how we respond. 

In today’s readings, Jesus sends out the Twelve to proclaim the Kingdom of God. He tells them to take nothing for the journey. Stay where you are welcomed and if you aren’t welcomed, shake the dust from your feet. In other words, go out and pray, hope, and don’t worry. You are doing my work and that is enough, I will take care of everything else. 

How different my life might be if I could be like the Twelve and focus so firmly on proclaiming the Kingdom of God with my life that even if rebuffed, I could rest in God, shake the dust from my feet and move on? What would happen if I stopped worrying about all the things I can’t change and focused on what I could? What would happen if I let God be God and I just worried about being Sheryl? He created me, and just like the Twelve, he knows how I fit into His plan for His kingdom.

What can I do today to help in building the Kingdom of God? 

Padre Pio had the answer and for that. He is a great modern Saint. Pray, hope, Don’t worry. God’s got this. 

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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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Authentic Love

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Me: “Hi, Sweetie, can I help you find a spot?”

Second Grade Sweetie: “I know why you call me Sweetie.”

Me: (feeling slightly panicked) “Why?”

Second Grade Sweetie: “You can’t remember my name.”

As a teacher, I hang with kids. A lot. I am very familiar with the awkward moments when children, from the purity and authenticity of their hearts, call us adults out. We think we are being polite or socially smart, and they call us right out. They can take one look at us and know if that smile on our face is genuine. And they don’t mind telling us.

Jesus calls us to love our enemies. My husband and I have an oft repeated conversation about the relationship between love and like. Jesus calls us to love our enemies. He doesn’t say one word about liking them. Liking someone relies on our emotions. It is how we feel about them. St. Thomas Aquinas defines love as willing the best for the other. Love is an act of our will. It isn’t simply happy-smilely hearts and flowers, it is a choice, a decision to act in the best interest of another.

Jesus takes us outside our fickle emotions. It is easy to love those who love us first. It is easy to want the good for those who want the good for us. What is much, much harder is to will the good for those with whom we disagree, those who act in ways we don’t choose to act.

We can’t simply be nice either. It is impossible to keep the Lord’s commandment to love by only imitating the divine model. (CCC 2842) Although initiating the actions of Jesus is a good first step, love isn’t simply what we do on the outside. There has to be a vital participation from the depth of the heart. We aren’t just called to do the right thing. We are called to allow ourselves to be molded into the image of the one who is goodness, truth, and beauty. That means our hearts of stone have to become living hearts formed “in the holiness and the mercy and the love of our God”. We have to be authentic in our love.

The first reading guides us in what this looks and sounds like. The Corinthians had become caught up in worrying about the right and wrong way of doing things. Among the debates was whether or not it was acceptable to eat the meat offered to the pagan idols. Paul’s response doesn’t worry too much about the idols, false gods are no god at all, so what does it matter? What matters is the result of their actions. If eating the meat leads another into sin, therein lies the problem. Paul is incredibly blunt, if eating the meat causes another to sin, then he won’t just give up the meat offered to the idols, he will give up all meat. Loving those who believe differently from us, acting for the good of another is that important.

Sacrificing meat to idols isn’t an issue we see today, but we see many other idols in our society. It is easy to find examples of the idols of fame, wealth, and worldly success. We see around us those who sacrifice their families, their sense of self, their time, their bodies. There are plenty of divisions in our world. There is plenty of pressure to be part of “us” and not “them”. First Jesus and then St. Paul, guide us to act outside of all that. If our actions lead another to sin, then it is time we change how we act. We are called to allow the Holy Spirit to work on us from the inside out so that when we love, it is authentic. It is a love which wills the good of the other, and is willing to work for that good.

My prayer for us today is that we may love like little children so our smiles reflect our hearts, and our insides and outsides may both be formed by the Holy Spirit in the holiness, mercy, and love of God. May God bless you.

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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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Living and Effective

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“The word of God is living and effective, able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.”

Today’s Gospel is part of a succession of statements from Jesus which begin, “Woe to you!”

Woe to you, who think you are all set because you tithe, but you neglect the things of real importance, judgment, mercy and fidelity. Jesus even clarifies, it is good to tithe, but tithing alone doesn’t make up for neglecting how we live.

Woe to you, who worry about how things look on the outside but carry around ill-will and selfishness on the inside.

It isn’t about how things appear on the outside. It isn’t about going through the motions because we think it is what we should do. The Gospel is living and effective because it lives in us when we live as Jesus did.

And that is the bottom line, the life we are all called to is about living as Jesus lived. We are called to live with mercy and grace in all the private moments of our life as well as our public ones.

Those moments when we want to give up and instead, we take a deep breath and keep going. That is living as Jesus did.

When we see someone struggling and take a moment to ease their path. That is living as Jesus did.

When we get frustrated and want to throw a fit, but instead say a prayer and do the next right thing. That is living as Jesus did.

When we swallow our pride and act out of concern for others over our own comfort. That is living as Jesus did.

When we are tired and stressed and still smile and speak kindly to those we meet, that is living as Jesus did.

Jesus doesn’t call us all to great big public acts of heroism. But he does call each of us to follow his example and he gives us the opportunity to be his disciple in a multitude of small ways every day. He calls us to be his apostle carrying not just a message, but his mercy and grace everywhere we go. The Gospel is living, because Jesus makes it come to life in us. The Gospel is effective because it is our guide to living as Jesus did. When we tend to that, it has the power to change everything.

My prayer for you today is that you find yourself living out his grace in all the moments of your life, no matter how big or small.

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

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Letting Go

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A colleague and I were discussing the age-old dilemma of finding new people to step up and share leadership in an organization. It doesn’t matter what type of organization you are in, the same people seem to make sure that birthdays are remembered, bake sales happen, and holiday functions get planned. We were realizing how even though it seems counter intuitive, sometimes, you just have to let go in order to have things start anew. Sometimes there has to be a vacuum, something has to not happen for people to become conscious again of how much these little events build community and bring us closer together. 

“Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” 

(I don’t know about you, but I have “Circle of Life” from The Lion King playing in my head right now.)

There is a cycle to all the things of this world, a time to sow and a time to reap. We tend to focus on the sowing and the reaping we do on a daily basis. The first reading today reminds us of “the one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food.” It is so easy to get so caught up in making things happen, that we forget the source of those things. We talk about providing for our families and getting what we need, as if it all relied only on our own efforts. Of course, we work to be able to fulfill our obligations and take care of our families but the source of all we have really comes from God. The food we make, we may grow it, but we don’t make it grow. When we use our talents to produce goods to sell or share, we always start with raw material that comes only from the Creator. 

We see the same thing socially, whether it is in our parishes, schools, families, workplaces or other groups. There is a cycle to events and happenings and sometimes the worst thing we can do is try to stop the cycle to continue something that we think is serving a need, but has outlived its purpose. By experiencing the ebb and flow of events, happenings, and even people in our life, we can reflect and come to truly value those things which are ultimately most valuable. We can step back from the things of creation and refocus on the Creator who calls all things into being. 

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

My prayer for you today, is to allow the natural ebb and flow of nature, the transitions of daylight and darkness, of sowing and reaping to help whatever grain of wheat you are still holding tight to fall so that it may bear fruit and bring you closer to the one we serve, no matter what the season. 

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

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What’s the Point?

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It is so easy to lose our focus. Like the mother of James and John, it is so-so easy to become infatuated with the world’s definition of success and to completely miss the point.

We are familiar with today’s Gospel reading and we find the story, not only in Matthew’s Gospel but also in Mark’s Gospel. The placement of the story of James and John in Mark is interesting as well. In Mark, the story of the brothers’ ambition to sit in positions of power, comes after the story of the workers in the vineyard, in which all workers are paid according to their value and dignity as persons rather than what they could do for the owner for the vineyard. 

It is easy to get caught up in all that is happening around us. We are given all the tips and keys for “getting ahead” (which implies leaving others behind), for learning how to “win friends and influence people” (which implies that the reason for befriending someone is to be able to influence them), how to “think and grow rich” (which implies that getting rich is the goal to which we all should strive). All this ends up with us being unhappy with what we have and desiring to be in a position to get what we think we need. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the success the world is selling and to forget that Jesus turned all that on its head. 

The world is a mess around you? You feel like everything is out of control and there is nothing you can do? You feel like others are leaving you behind on the ladder of success? Jesus has the answer. 

But Jesus summoned them and said,

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave…”

The world is a mess? St. Paul told us, we will be constricted by not constrained. Jesus has the answer. Serve the person next to you. You feel like it’s all out of control? St. Paul told us we will be perplexed but not driven to despair. The answer? Love the person next to you. You feel like you are being left behind on the ladder of success? St. Paul told us we would be persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed. The answer? Serve the neighbor closest to you. 

Find some small act of love, some small gift of charity, some tiny act of humility that you can practice today. When we seek to serve first, we realize that Jesus doesn’t just have the answer, He is the answer. 

“Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Holy Spirit, guide us today in seeking first how we can be a blessing and source of love for others, confident that when we put others first, we are only imitating what you did for us.

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

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Form and Function

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In the study of science, form and function refers to the relationship between the structure of a thing and the way it functions. Today’s Gospel reading gives us a beautiful opportunity to look at both the form and function of one of Jesus’s prayers. 

“At that time, Jesus exclaimed…”

Can you imagine what it would be like to hear Jesus praying in person? Mind-blowing, even to imagine, isn’t it? In today’s Gospel, Jesus’s prayer functions to bring glory and praise to the Father. He names God as Father and Lord of heaven and earth, teaching us about who God is and who we are in relationship to God. God has hidden this understanding from those who consider themselves wise and learned and has instead chosen to reveal himself to the childlike. Coming on the heels of the Beatitudes, the childlike are the poor of the Beatitudes and theirs is the kingdom of heaven. And Jesus’s “Yes, Father,” echoes Mary’s Fiat which teaches us about the relationship between mother and son, joined in their dedication to the Father’s will. (CCC 2603) 

But let’s think about the form for a minute. Why would Jesus, one and consubstantial with the Father, bother to speak his prayers out loud? Notice the term used in the English translation, “exclaimed”. 

Not “Jesus said” or “Jesus whispered” or “mumbled”, the word chosen is “exclaimed”. 

Exclaimed (past tense verb) to cry out or speak in sudden, strong emotion (Mirriam Webster Dictionary) 

When was the last time a prayer came out as a cry in sudden, strong emotion? 

We can learn from the function of this prayer to acknowledge God and who we are before him. We can humble ourselves to become like the poor of the Beatitudes so that we too may enter into the kingdom of heaven. We can learn from the form of the prayer, that our prayers should not be mere words, but should spill from the depths of our hearts. Jesus is tapping into our human nature, the way we were created. We are body and spirit and we have a need to translate our interior feelings externally. CCC (2702)

This all has a very practical application. When we are distracted in prayer, the distraction reveals to us the stuff to which we have attached ourselves. Instead of denying distraction, we can embrace it and allow it to humble us before God, asking him to set fire to our hearts and awaken our preferential love for him. Distraction is the call to make a choice of which master we serve. By turning into the distraction and offering it to God, we put ourselves in a position so that God can work in us. (CCC 2729) We need to pay attention to both the form and the function of our prayer.

In the words of St. John Chrysostom, “Whether or not our prayer is heard depends not on the number of words, but on the fervor of our souls.”

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

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Shrewdly Simple

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“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” 

Similes are very specific types of metaphors. (English teacher moment; all similes are metaphors, but not all metaphors are similes.) Metaphors allow us to express the nuances of emotions, experiences and images when we don’t have a shared vocabulary to explain. Similes deepen our understanding by drawing a connection between something we don’t have the words to understand and something which can be understood through our standard vocabulary.

Certainly, there was no standard vocabulary to explain Jesus or his mission. He was here to take everything that people thought they knew and show them they had only scratched the surface. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matt 5:17) 

The first half of this verse from today’s reading seems pretty clear. When we go out to live as Christians in the world, we are heading out looking like prey in the midst of a world full of predators. This passage comes after the Sermon on the Mount as Jesus was sending out his disciples to be apostles spreading the word of the kingdom of God. It is the same message for us. When we preach love in a world structured on competition and topping one another, in a culture where making sure that our needs are met and no one infringes on our rights, we Christians are looked at as if we have sprouted a third arm from the middle of our forehead and treated as if we are incapable of understanding “the real world”. What we as Christians know, is this isn’t the real world. This world is where we pray, “to thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.” This world is our valley of tears! We are not to be in search of comfort and happiness (big difference between happiness and joy, but that is the stuff of another reflection), we recognize this world is where we suffer so that we can join our suffering to that of Christ. 

Which brings us to needing to be “shrewd as serpents”. I grew up terrified of snakes. My dad (who in reality was more frightened than I was) always told me, “They are more afraid of you than you are of them.” As a general rule, snakes avoid humans. Science confirms they are wary of men and strike only as a last-ditch effort to defend themselves. Being wary is pretty good advice for us too. We have a mission. We are here to further God’s kingdom, to live and love as Jesus. We need to be cunning as serpents and be wary of the agenda’s and plans of men and focus on God. Jesus confirms this latter in the Gospel passage, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.” (Matt 10:22) Being shrewd as a serpent allows us to be as simple as doves and stay focused on being who Jesus calls us to be, fulfilling the mission he has set before us, living a life of faith. 

Faith is a theological virtue, infused in us at our baptism. It isn’t something we conjure up on our own, it is an entirely free gift from God to man. (CCC 162) We can lose this gift, as St. Paul told Timothy, through rejecting our conscience. (1 Tim 1:18-19) When we lose our focus, we lose our faith. Faith makes us taste in advance the light of the beatific vision. (CCC 163). It gives us hope in the midst of this valley of tears. Faith shows itself through works of charity, actively loving all we meet. 

So let us embrace this simile and bravely venture forth as sheep among the wolves, grounded in the gift of faith, strong in the hope of the world to come. We can be cunning as serpents and be wary of the ways of men so that we maintain the simplicity of doves and remain focused on God. In doing this, we give back to God the gifts we have received, we give our very selves in service of the Kingdom. 

In the words of Dorothy Day, “It is a hard doctrine, this loving your enemies, this being as simple as doves, wise as serpents… It is hard to love Pharisees and scribes, the hypocrites, and cynics too. O God take away my heart of stone and give me a heart of flesh!” (1951)

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

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What Month is it?

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In the fuzzy world between sleeping and waking this morning, I tried to figure out what month it is. My not quite fully conscious brain tried on different months for size, trying to determine which one fit, trying to make sense of the seemingly simple question, “What month is it?”

Recently, my husband and I had a full blown conversation over whether it was Monday or Tuesday. A colleague and I are trying to read a book about Theology of the Body. Do you think we can both remember our Zoom call on the same day? Not likely. And whatever you need me to do, if I don’t write it down, it isn’t going to happen. List making is now a full-time occupation. 

One of my summer joys is journal writing. Someplace in the middle of the school year, my daily writing habit gets left behind in an effort to get 20 minutes more sleep. This summer, my journal languishes beside my favorite chair, neglected. I tell myself what I tell my students, just write. It doesn’t matter what you say. It doesn’t matter if you just tell the page over and over that you don’t know what to write. Just write. 

Yet, this summer, in spite of my many to-do lists, my journal has only sporadic entries. My thinking which under normal circumstances is clarified by talking, by writing, by using my words, just isn’t. And maybe, that is the problem, my thinking, what am I supposed to think? Our world is in the midst of a pandemic. This is the stuff of movies with doctors who save the day in under two hours, not the stuff of neverending Tuesdays in June. 

Then there are shootings and protests, people looting and more shootings and people dying in our streets. We are facing the reality that our country founded on “all men are created equal” is not what we thought it was. There is the economy and dealing with hamburg which has tripled in price while our income hasn’t. Then feeling guilty because I am worried about the cost of hamburg when someone else has lost a father, brother, son. We are in a time of radical change in our country, much needed change but change that will only come through upheaval and tearing down and building new. Change is hard. So much change makes remembering the daily details difficult. 

I pray daily to do what God wills with my life but I seem to be stuck in a time of relative inaction. The news is full of people who are demonstrating, who are making a difference and I am finding it hard to even pray regularly. My prayers often end up as a repeated plea, “What do I do, Lord?” 

That is where I meet the Holy Family in today’s Gospel. This is a favorite Gospel story because I can vividly imagine Mary and Joseph as they realize Jesus isn’t in the family caravan. I know that heart-stopping feeling of finding out that all is not as you thought it was. I try to picture their hurried journey back to the city to look for Jesus. I know that tight feeling in the chest as you retrace your steps hoping against hope that your worst fears aren’t about to come true. I see them in my mind’s eye walking through the temple and seeing Jesus talking. They hesitate for a moment and listen to their son talking to men in the temple before he looks up and smiles at them, Mary says, “Son…” and Jesus replies, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” 

“But they did not understand what he said to them. He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them, and his mother kept all these things in her heart.”

Perhaps, for me, this is not a time for grand action, but for quiet humility and obedience. Mary had been told who her son was, but she didn’t go shouting it from the rooftops. She waits for God’s time. Jesus was obedient. Mary kept these things in her heart. Maybe that’s it. In this time of upheaval and change and lost footing and no writing, I am to follow Jesus’s example and be humble, learning from others. Follow Mary’s example and keep these things in my heart. Just maybe God is preparing my heart for what comes next;  my heart of stone to be broken and replaced with his own loving heart. 

So for now, I need to:

Keep one foot in front of the other.
Pray the prayers.
Take care of those near me.
Attend Mass as often as possible.
Go to Adoration and pray at the feet of Jesus.
For goodness sake, limit social media.
Do the next right thing. 

My time for action will come and I will need to be ready. But it is God’s time, not mine. For now, I will be obedient. I will love each person I meet. I will hold all this in my heart, so when it’s His time, I will be ready. 

Wherever God is calling you during this turbulent time, may you find the peace that comes not from this world, but only by living for the next. 

May God bless you. Whatever month it is.

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

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Have We Fallen Short?

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“You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, persecutions that I endured.” (2 Timothy 3:10) 

This second letter to Timothy was written as an encouragement to Timothy to help him in his ministry, to help him prepare for some of the practicality of being a missionary such as planning ahead for succession. The letter doesn’t pull any punches, it isn’t going to be all fun and games. It is going to take patience, love, endurance to not only survive but thrive through the persecutions, and sufferings that come. We are told straight out that, “all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

There used to be jokes on the internet about us and our first world problems. We would bemoan the lack of a charger for our phones or that the stores were out of some luxury item to which we had become accustomed. Now, all of a sudden, these jokes aren’t so funny. Even if we aren’t in the thick of it, we are watching as freezer trucks are used to house the bodies of our fellow citizens who have not survived the pandemic. We see thousands of our countrymen waiting in line for food for their families. We are seeing video of men dying at the hands of those who have no respect for life. We are watching whole segments of our society rise up in protest because they are considered as less worthy of living a first-world life and we are seeing those who are using their anguished protests as an excuse to riot and loot. Not only are the first world jokes no longer funny, just maybe they never were. 

What do we do as Catholic Christians? How do we clarify the eyes of our hearts so that we see the face of Jesus in everyone we meet? I am not talking about being colorblind. I am talking about seeing a person for who they were created to be because that is where we find Jesus in them.

Today is the Memorial of St. Boniface. Once again, the Church in her motherly wisdom provides us with a Saint who has been there. “Boniface bears out the Christian rule: To follow Christ is to follow the way of the cross. For Boniface, it was not only physical suffering or death but the painful, thankless, bewildering task of Church reform. Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems—but is not—less glorious to heal the household of the faith.” (https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-boniface/) Those last sentences, “Missionary glory is often thought of in terms of bringing new persons to Christ. It seems-but it is not-less glorious to heal the household of faith.” We need to recognize where we have fallen short as a people of God. We can point to amazing people in the Church who have spent their lives working for social justice, but have we? Do we go farther than donating our used clothing? Farther than dropping off food at the food bank? Those are good things to do, but are they enough? We talk about the New Evangelization in a post-Christian world. We are not ministering to those who have never heard of Jesus Christ, but to those who have heard of or even met Jesus but haven’t allowed him to change their hearts. What lies before us is a much different task. 

2nd Timothy helps us. If we immerse ourselves in Holy Scripture and we model ourselves after the Saints who have gone before us, the Holy Spirit will guide us in discerning between trials, which are necessary for the growth of the inner man, and temptation, which leads to sin and death. (CCC 2847) As we face head-on these challenges in our modern world, as we pray and study and lead, we will come to see Jesus in each and every person, from conception to natural death. We will begin to not simply profess Catholic social teaching, we will live it. Our lives will become our testaments to the living God and his call to unity. 

Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children,
we praise you for all you have given us,
for all you have done for us,
for all that you are to us.
In our weakness, you are strength,
in our darkness, you are light,
in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace.
We cannot number your blessings,
we cannot declare your love:
For all your blessings we bless you.
May we live as in your presence,
and love the things that you love,
and serve you in our daily lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Attributed to St. Boniface

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

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Born for This

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Each of us has a purpose, a role to play in building God’s kingdom. That purpose, that role is so unique, that no one else in the history of humankind, no else who is ever to be born, can fulfill your role just as no one else can fulfill my role.

That means that we, yes, you and me, we were born for this time. We were created to live here and now in the midst of all this craziness and sickness and suffering and politics and whatever else is going on in the world. We were literally born for this.

It also means that my role isn’t the same as your role. So whatever your role is right now, well done! You may be a mom or dad holding it together while spending 24/7 with those little creatures who want to eat constantly, need to learn, and are constantly picking on their siblings and pushing your buttons. You may be someone who is socially isolated by health or age or other circumstances and have more time on your hands than you ever dreamed possible and are struggling with loneliness. You may be working and struggling with fear and awkwardness at the new social norms. You may be leading your family or a business or a faith community and feeling unsure of what to do next or where you want to be, much less taking responsibility for anyone else. There are a gazillion more maybes, and one of them is yours.

But whatever our roles are, today’s readings make abundantly clear what we have in common. We are to “sanctify Christ as Lord” in our hearts. We are to love God and keep his commandments. What is the greatest commandment? To love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your mind and all your soul and then to love your neighbor as yourself. I have heard it said that when we truly love God first, we just naturally demonstrate that love through our neighbors.

It is time to get creative and find new ways of loving.

A friend of mine has taken to visiting care facilities with her blind dog, Booker (there is a whole ‘nother great story there!) to help people celebrate birthdays. They show up with a sign and hats and wave through the window and help people who are so incredibly isolated know that they are loved and remembered. We need to follow her example and think outside of the box for new ways to reach out. Try sending a card to a nursing home or hospital simply addressed to “Someone Who Needs a Smile.” Your children don’t know what to color anymore? Have them decorate a heart to send off to a fire or police station to let these first responders know they are supported. Have your children help you make a list of people to thank and declare once a week Heart Day when you send off your handmade hearts to warm the hearts of others.

Do you wake up in the night, unable to sleep? How about saying a Divine Mercy chaplet for someone who is alone in the hospital fighting for their life or, better yet, someone who is about to meet Jesus. Your prayers are efficacious, they really work and are so needed!

Depressed by the negativity on social media? Try posting a Bible verse a day. Or simply ask people how you can pray for them today. There are people who will respond to you who may not ever respond to anyone else. Then do it, spend some time in prayer lifting up others.

They need you. We all need you. In a time of social distancing, we need each other more than ever. Not only that, but we are also called to it by God himself. Jesus promises that he would not leave us orphans. He sends us an advocate, the Holy Spirit. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will see Jesus now when we see him present in those around us, we see him in each other’s suffering and joy.

So wherever you are, however you are coping with this pandemic, well done you. Today, take a deep breath and ask God to show you who he needs you to love today. Put him first and then let him show you who to love next.

You’ve got this. Matter of fact, you were born for this.

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

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In Antioch the Disciples Were First Called Christians

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Christian (noun)
1. a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity
2. a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ (from Dictionary.com)

In today’s Gospel, the Pharisees are once again asking Jesus for proof of who he is. The problem is, that if you have to ask for proof, you are most likely already missing the point. Faith is a theological virtue, meaning that it is infused in us by the grace of God. “Faith is the theological virtue by which we believe in God and all that he has said and revealed to us…” (CCC 1814) We cannot make it happen on its own. To have faith is to be open to the gift of grace. While we can cultivate openness, we can’t acquire grace on our own. Grace is a free gift from God. 

We see an example of this grace in action, when Jesus asks the disciples who people say he is, “When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi* he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist,* others, Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood* has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” (Matthew 16:13-17)

We hear our time in history described as “post-Christian” meaning that Christianity is declining as a majority religion. It isn’t that people don’t believe in Jesus, rather they have lost the awareness of their need for faith in daily life. There is a “been there-done that” attitude towards Christianity. “I tried _________, but it isn’t for me.” (You can fill in the blank with whichever noun you choose; God, the Church, faith, religion. There are a host of options tossed about.) Our culture is pretty D-I-Y; if we can’t pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and make something happen by the force of our own will, then we simply aren’t interested.

Jesus speaks directly to this so-called modern attitude, “The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” Listen to that again, “the works I do in my Father’s name testify to me.” It isn’t about claiming to be a Christian as a title, it is about letting the gift of faith seep down to our very toes and change who we are so that our very works, each of our smallest of actions testify to who God is and who we are in Him. 

“The disciple of Christ must not only keep the faith and live on it, but also profess it, confidently bear witness to it, and spread it…service and witness to the faith are necessary for salvation.” (CCC1816)

But to do that, the very first step is opening up our hearts and minds. It is letting go of our egos and pride and thinking we have all the answers and giving God space to fill us with faith. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “If you are discouraged it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own power. Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness, and your intellectual pride will inhibit His coming to live in your heart because God cannot fill what is already full. It is as simple as that.”

My prayer for us in this month of Mary is that we mimic Mary’s yes and open ourselves up to the faith God wants to instill in us. He is that ever-patient and tender lover waiting for us to make space for Him. Just like the farmers preparing the ground for spring crops, we can prepare the soil of our souls to be open and ready for God’s planting of the grace of faith. Then we can tend that garden and live into the fruits of what it means to be a disciple of Christ, and like those early believers in Antioch, truly be called a  Christian.

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

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Let All the Earth Cry Out to God with Joy

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“Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love
the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books that are now written in a very foreign tongue. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually, without noticing it, live along some distant day into the answer.” -Ranier Maria Rilke

I don’t know about you, but I am kind of fond of feeling like I have some semblance of control. I carry my calendar everywhere, color code my appointments, events, and to-dos. I love the feeling I get when I can check something off my list. This time of not knowing, of change, of having questions with no answers is taking a toll. My biggest fear? What if feeling out of control is my new normal?

In today’s reading in Acts, we hear about a time of persecution when the dominant culture was trying to actively destroy the Church. But what happens? The exact opposite, “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.” Whether it is an act of a government or a natural phenomenon like the Coronavirus, when the Church is scattered, it is a call to action for every Christian. But Jesus doesn’t expect us to act on our own. 

“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

Jesus knows what we need. Created in his image and likeness, He knows us more intimately than we know ourselves. He knows that we were created in the image and likeness of love, meaning that we are hardwired to give of ourselves in love. He knows that through the sludge and muck and mire we make of our lives, deep within us is a desire to love and be loved. Jesus is the tenderest of lovers in that he waits for us to be ready. Because we are more often tuned in to our physical hunger than our spiritual hunger, in today’s Gospel, Jesus appeals to our physical self. Our natural state is body and soul. In offering to feed our bodies, Jesus is telling us that when we turn to Him, He is ready, willing, and able to meet all our needs, both physical and spiritual. 

In my old normal, I strove to meet my needs by structuring and planning my days, by taking on more and more projects to inflate my sense of accomplishment. In this time of physical distancing from one another and spiritual distancing from the Sacraments, I can feel the tug on my heart to stop relying on myself for the answers and to lean more heavily on Him. This is a time to simply live each moment, trusting that God will provide in his time. Today’s readings reassure me of what will happen when I loosen my need for control and just live in his love. 

This new normal requires that I rely on God’s grace. The new normal gives me the space to set aside my questions so that I may patiently live into His answers. My new normal is to rely so fully on His grace, I leave behind my reliance on my own accomplishments and receive the bread of life with an open heart and mind. This new normal is to make a spiritual communion to increase the desire of my heart and soul to be united to Jesus so that when I can return to Eucharist, I am more fully open to all He has waiting for me. He is waiting for me, and I can wait for Him. 

While we wait for that time when we can return to the altar together, may you and I live in peace with all our questions and find within the questions themselves, not simply answers, but His joy which calls all the earth to sing out, “Alleluia!”

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