Tag: Susan Ciancio

In the Gospel reading today, we read the story of the beheading of John the Baptist. According to Matthew, at Herod’s birthday celebration, Herodias’ daughter performed a dance that very much delighted Herod. He was so taken with her that he said he would give her whatever she wanted. After consulting her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. Though the king hesitated because he did not want to put John to death, he also did not want to lose face in front of the guests. So he complied and had John beheaded.

Aside from the tragedy of John the Baptist’s death, this story should impel us to reflect on what we allow to influence us in our lives. We should ask ourselves: How can I apply the lesson in this story to my own life?

Herod knew what he was doing was wrong, but he did it anyway because he felt pressured by those around him.

How often do we do something we know that we shouldn’t? We allow others to persuade us, to change our point of view, or to make us think that something isn’t as bad as what we originally thought. 

It’s the essence of peer pressure, and it happens all the time—even to adults—and especially in matters related to morality. We get so swept away by what others want that we conform to society’s standards and set aside God’s. 

There are many within society, even in leadership positions, who like to teach that we should allow people to do what they want with their own bodies, in life-or-death situations, or within their own homes. “Live and let live,” they say. 

Why is this wrong? It’s wrong because it perpetuates a society based on people’s wants rather than on God’s laws. 

When we adopt this attitude, we allow ourselves to step further and further away from Christ. It’s like taking a brick house down one brick at a time. The loss of one brick may not matter. But when brick after brick is removed, only a shell of a house is left.

Every time we allow others to influence us so that we take an action we know is wrong, we are removing a “brick” from our path to heaven. If enough bricks are removed, the path becomes crumbled and obscured, and we lose sight of eternity with God. 

That is why we must pray and talk to God on a regular basis. Not only that, but we must be quiet and block out the world that’s trying to distract us with its mesmerizing dance. When we do this, we can hear God’s response.

If we keep our eyes focused on God rather than on the dancer, we will not lose those bricks that pave our way to heaven. And any that have been lost can be replaced, for God is merciful, and He wants us to spend eternity with Him.

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In today’s Gospel, we read that the Pharisees questioned why Jesus sat for a meal with tax collectors and sinners. Jesus responded: “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” 

Jesus’ words should be a huge relief to us, for we are all sinners. We all need the salvation that He came here to offer us. 

And through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, we can be absolved of our sins. We can tell God we’re sorry. And we can promise to try to sin no more.

Yet He knows we will sin again. And invariably we do. So we pick ourselves up and try again. That’s all He asks—that we keep working at following His laws and becoming closer to Him.

And sometimes we envy those who got to sit at the table with Him, who had the chance to talk with Him, who heard His voice, and who listened to His stories. Maybe we even think: If only I could sit down to dinner with Christ, how much different my life would be.

But we can! We can sit down to dinner with Christ every day in the celebration of the Mass. At Mass, we listen to His word. We sit in His presence. We sing hymns of praise. We pray and tell Him we love Him. And, if we are free of mortal sin, we can eat of His flesh and drink of His blood.

There is nothing more amazing than that!

As Catholics, we are so incredibly blessed to be able to partake in the Eucharist, for the Eucharist really is the body, blood, soul, and divinity of Christ. 

What a gift!

If we truly contemplate this miracle, we would be running to the confessional then skipping to church so we could receive Communion. 

But even once we’re there in Mass, we find ourselves getting distracted. Maybe the music is of poor quality. Maybe people are making noise. Maybe we can’t hear the homily. So our minds begin to wander away from the table and away from Christ. We are no longer eating with Him but drifting aimlessly and alone.  

It is at these times that we need Him the most. 

When this happens, ask Him to draw you back to the table. Tell Him how much you love being with Him. 

And as you think about that meal where He spoke to the Pharisees, understand that he was talking about you. 

He came here for you. He came here for me. We are the sinners He died for. Let us never forget that.

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The First Reading and the Responsorial Psalm tie in really well together today. In the First Reading, we hear the story of Hagar and her son Ishmael, the son of Abraham. In this story, Abraham sends the two away with just some water and bread. They wander in the wilderness and soon have eaten the bread and drunk the water. Despair sets in. 

Hopeless and fearing that her son will die, Hagar sits down and cries. But then an angel of God speaks to her, telling her that God has heard the boy’s cries and that He will protect him. She opens her eyes to find a well of water. 

Then, in the Responsorial Psalm, we hear that “the Lord hears the cry of the poor.” 

These words and this story should buoy us, for they are meant to give courage and hope.

Yet, life is often difficult or full of loss. That loss may be of a friend or family member, of a child, of a spouse, or of an ability. We cry and wonder why these things happen. We pray. We beg God to help us. Sometimes we may even think that He isn’t listening. Or if He’s listening, He doesn’t care. And just like Hagar, we can easily fall into despair.

But destructive thoughts like these are surely the work of the devil, for he wants us to wallow, to curse God, and to feel angry. That’s how he wins us over. He fills us with such resentment and such misery that we push God away. We begin to doubt His love. And the devil smiles.

However, these verses from the Bible—indeed, the whole Bible itself—prove God’s love and compassion for us. He wants us to know that He hears our prayers and our cries. He wants us to know that He’s always listening and paying attention. And He wants us to understand that we matter to Him. 

God knows our whole story—our beginning, our middle, and our end. We are not privy to the end. So we must learn to have faith and to follow Him even when we don’t understand, trusting that He surely walks with us during our times of despair. It is during these times that we need God the most. It is during these times that we cannot give up. And it is during these times that we must pray unceasingly.

God gave Hagar and Ishmael a literal well of water to quench their thirst and to save their lives. He gave us His Son. And it is from that well that we must learn to drink, for it is that well that will save us.

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The Responsorial Psalm for today says: “The glory of the Lord will dwell in our land.”

When Jesus walked on Earth and people heard Him speak, they could not help but become excited. They were on fire for the truths He taught. And He charged them to go out and spread the Good News. He charges us to do the same.

Where the Good News is taught and believed, there indeed will the glory of the Lord be seen.

But too often today people brush aside morality. They want to create a “woke” culture where everyone can do what he wants, as long as it feels good.

Yet we know that the glory of our Lord does not reside in a culture that devalues human beings. This culture of death has its grips on society now more than ever. With laws allowing the killing of preborn babies and the euthanizing of the elderly and disabled, and with hatred apparent in so many violent acts around the country, we may feel tempted to lose hope. We may wonder where God is when so many Godless acts pervade our daily lives. 

But God has not forsaken us. Though terrible and devastating things happen, and though it may be difficult to see or feel His glory at times, it is ever present.

We can see it in the beauty of nature, in the smile of a stranger, in the helping hand of a neighbor, in the acts of those who stand up for the tenets of our faith, in the kind word of a spouse or child, and in so much more! 

And, through our actions, we can help others see the glory of God. We live our lives as God would want us to live them, not as 21st century culture wants. We are not accountable to the media, to political leaders, or to anyone else. We are accountable to God.

At the end of our lives, God will ask us what we did to glorify Him on Earth. He will ask us how we helped build a culture that respected and revered human beings. He will ask us how we changed lives for the better. He will want to know how we used His gifts to glorify Him and lead others to Him.

What will be our answer? And will this answer please Him?

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In today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, crowds of people surrounded Christ and His disciples. They approached Christ because they heard that He had healed many. They, too, wanted to be healed.

Imagine living during the time of Christ and seeing Him for real—in flesh and blood—hearing stories of the miracles He performed, and knowing in your heart that He could heal you. Imagine being so convinced that you felt compelled to follow Him.

In a sense, the people in Christ’s time almost had it easy. They saw His miracles and heard His teachings; they could not deny that He was the Son of God. 

It’s harder for us 2,000 years later. We don’t get that firsthand account. We don’t get to be eyewitnesses. We close our eyes and can only imagine what it must have been like. We rely on stories. We rely on faith.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, today, crowds of people still chased after Christ because they knew and understood who He really is? Some do. Yet many in our secular society scoff at those who believe. They tell us we’re “nuts” or “crazy.”  They don’t understand. And they certainly don’t know Christ like we do.

If they knew Him, they would run after Him as well.

But are we always like that crowd of people in Christ’s time? Do we so desperately seek Him that we run after Him no matter what? Or do we cautiously walk, unsure of what we have been taught, unsure of what we believe, and reticent to let the world know our beliefs?

Sometimes, when things get difficult, we may feel that Christ is not with us. But we must remain steadfast in the belief that He is always there. We must take steps to feel closer to Him. We pray unceasingly. We sit with Him in Adoration. We read His words. 

Christ is our light and our hope. In this, we must have faith—a faith that impels us to run toward Him, even in dark times.

We may not be able to tangibly see or touch Him, but we must believe He will never leave us, for He loves us more than we can ever imagine. 

So, the next time you feel like you are all alone, remember that Christ is our constant. He is the one thing we can always count on, no matter what. He is always waiting for us with outstretched arms. 

He may not answer our prayers in the exact way that we want, and He may not take away our physical or mental ailments. But, if we ask, He will give the kind of healing that matters most—a spiritual healing. And that is the only reason we are here on earth. 

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