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Led by the Spirit

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In today’s reading, we hear that Jesus was led by the Spirit. Even Jesus, the Son of God, was led by the Holy Spirit, as we all should be. But I think we often let the more natural moments and distractions of our day to day distract us from the supernatural promptings of the Spirit.

This year for Lent I got tired of the typical “give something up” quips that people typically do. This isn’t to downplay anyone who is doing this, it just hasn’t been very effective for me in the past. This year I wanted to intentionally focus on the promptings of the Holy Spirit and being more aware of them when they happen throughout the day. I am trying this with 5 steps.

1. Prayer: Instead of planning on doing something huge like a daily holy hour or 15-decade rosary a day, I have decided to do 4 simple and attainable times of prayer throughout the whole day. This helps me to continually speak to God and also be attentive to the promptings of the Spirit in my life. Some examples are praying a morning offering and doing an examination of conscience at night.

2. Sacrifice: Again, instead of large sacrifices, I am doing 3 smaller ones throughout the day that break my will and remind me of the importance of sacrifice. One in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one at nighttime. These can be as simple as giving up salt on meals or not snacking.

3. Meditation: This is one of the most important aspects of my Lenten journey this year. It includes taking 5 minutes to meditate on the daily scripture. Meditation is done more as speaking to a lover than just reading from scripture. As I read the bible I let my heart and the Spirit lead and the words are there for guidance. I look up every so often and actually speak to God about what I am receiving.

4. Learning: “You learn something new every day.” This Lent I want to dive deeper in Theology and the teachings of the Church. Nathalie and I are going to be reading Theology of the Body together in order to learn more about our loving God and ourselves. Learning is as simple as taking 10-30 minutes a day to read a book or listen to religious podcast or video.

5. Service: “All is Gift.” Knowing that everything we have been given is a gift from God, I am trying to give more this lent. I have a new act of service picked every week. This can be anything from sharing the Gospel with someone new, to volunteering, to hosting a nice dinner for friends.

I hope these suggestions are helpful for you as you journey through this Lent. Whatever your Lenten practices are, I encourage you to use these sacrifices and moments to listen to the Holy Spirit prompting you to go out and love the world. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.
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Remembering the Path

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“Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth.”

This line, taken from today’s Responsorial Psalm, is something that I have been praying every day since the beginning of Lent and plan on praying throughout Lent. It reminds me every morning that my Lenten sacrifices aren’t for me to become a better version of myself. They aren’t for me to lose weight or wake up earlier. They are for me to become better in my relationship with God — a time to return to walking in the Lord’s truth.

It is so easy to give something up or take something on for Lent and not grow closer to God. I mean what does not eating chocolate really do for my relationship with God? What does waking up at 5:00 am to work out do for my relationship with God? I could easily use Lent as a 40-day trial period. Try getting fit for 40 days and if I don’t like it, then I don’t have to do it anymore.

Kinda defeats the purpose, though.

Lent is not a trial period for you to better your worldly self, but instead a time for us to refocus our goals and to actively work towards our heavenly goal. In a society focused on numbers, we want to believe that it only takes 21 days to form a habit. We want the quick and easy formula that will set us on the path to success. We all want to believe that if we do yoga at exactly 6:15 every morning that we will become flawlessly relaxed and in tune with our bodies. That’s just not the case. And that’s okay.

Our situations are constantly changing and we have tools within our faith to help us. Even if we lose ourselves in the uproar of humanity, there is hope for us. Similar to Levi, the tax collector in our Gospel reading, there is always time to follow Christ. There is always time to course correct.

Tomorrow we begin the first week of Lent, so it’s definitely not too late. If your Lenten sacrifice has nothing to do with God, add a faith element to it. For example, I mentioned not eating chocolate. Instead of just not eating chocolate, say a Hail Mary every time you get the urge to eat chocolate. I mentioned my own Lenten sacrifice of waking up at 5:00 am. I say my daily prayer and then do some scripture reading. It doesn’t have to be going to Mass every day or saying a Rosary every hour (although these are great). It just has to be something that serves as a reminder that Lent is a faith journey and a time of faith reflection.  

Lastly, it’s important to remember that course-correcting does not happen immediately, but instead is understanding that you’re not going the right way and making a step in the right direction.

Which direction are you moving this Lenten season?

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.
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Hold Fast to Fasting

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I had an issue with the Friday after Ash Wednesday. I mean, we just did the whole “no meat” thing two days ago and now we have to do it again?

Then, I would remember that at least we don’t have to fast and I would find a little bit of consolation in that. At least we don’t have to fast.

So, of course, today’s readings have to do with fasting.

Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving are the three pillars of Lent. Through these penitential practices, we prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Resurrection and He invites us to return to Him. Let’s take a deeper look at fasting, though.

If you were to poll most Catholics, their view of fasting would probably be the stereotypical response of “two small meals a day that together don’t add up to one large meal.” They would also take solace in the fact that fasting is only required on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Much like I did, until my view of fasting changed.

Throughout high school, I found myself heavily involved in retreat ministry. As a part of various retreat teams, we would take up different sacrifices, keeping in mind the sacrifices that future retreatants make in order to attend the retreat.

It was here that I learned fasting can take a different form. Some of our various fasts included technology, social media, snacking, music, etc. It increased our discipline, reminded us of a greater purpose and reordered our desires to the Lord.

Most recently, as a youth minister, I found myself forming a retreat team that chose a particularly difficult sacrifice. For the duration of our formation, the teens decided that the only beverage we would consume was water. That meant no coffee, tea, pop, energy drinks, juices, and others. When the teens pitched this idea, I panicked. I am a hard-working professional adult with two very consuming, demanding jobs. What was I going to do without my morning coffee?

When I panicked at the mere thought without coffee, I realized that my priorities were disordered and saw it as an invitation to return to the Lord on a more personal level. There were MANY days I struggled but I found other ways to “fast,” to continue the sacrifice.

The second half of today’s first reading is titled “Authentic Fasting that Leads to Blessing.” Isaiah pitches many different ideas and ways of fasting, such as sharing bread with the hungry and clothing the naked.

But wait? Haven’t we heard these before? In the corporal works of mercy? Those don’t exactly sound like fasts. Giving out of the surplus of our food to the needy is indeed a fast. Same with giving out of the surplus of our material wealth. These forms of fasting are different but none less important.

A genuine, true fast coming from the heart will reform one’s way of life. It’s a lesson I’m still learning and one I hope you will learn as well.

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Erin is a Parma Heights, Ohio, native and a 2016 graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She uses her communication arts degree in a couple of different ways: first, as an Athletic Communications Assistant at Baldwin Wallace University and, secondly, as a youth minister at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Although both of her jobs are on complete opposite spectrums, she truly enjoys being able to span the realm of communications. You can follow her on multiple Twitter accounts – @erinmadden2016 (personal), @bwathletics (work) and @HFVision (youth ministry).
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How do I Return my Heart to the Lord

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It’s the second day of Lent; anyone besides me still wondering how to make it more meaningful (or significant)? There are many resources that can help with this: the USCCB, Franciscan, Busted Halo, and Ascension Presents just to name a few.

In this year’s Lenten blog, we have a theme: Return to me with your whole heart.

The reading from Deuteronomy speaks of what can happen to our hearts:

“If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God,
heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.”  Deut 30:17-20

I’ve been working on returning my heart to the Lord over the last few years. I’m intentional in this phrasing because it’s been challenging dealing with past hurts and baggage from the sins of my youth and adulthood (as well as some repressed or forgotten memories). A byproduct of this process is me trying to get to confession at least every two months. My goal is once a month, but life happens and confession gets pushed back.

Typing this my inner voice shouts, “Are you kidding me?! You let these situations keep you from getting closer to your Lord?” I have to remember what a counselor said to me when I was sorting through the fresh debris of my divorce. “Be gentle with yourself,” she told me. I am more inclined to shake that off and reprimand myself. I do sin, daily, in my thoughts, in my words, what I’ve done, what I’ve failed to do.

In 1984, Pope John Paul II wrote an Apostolic Exhortation titled Reconciliation and Penance. It is a rich document that helps to remind us that reconciliation and penance is, “a means of purification, enrichment and deepening in personal faith. May it also be a leaven capable of encouraging the growth in the midst of the world of peace and brotherhood, hope and joy-values which spring from the Gospel as it is accepted, meditated upon and lived day by day after the example of Mary, mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom it pleased God to reconcile all things to himself.”

As Pope, St. John Paul II went to confession on a daily basis. Mother Teresa went at least once a week. I have family members who haven’t been since the year they (or their children) were confirmed. My heart aches for them when I hear this because they haven’t experienced the healing forgiveness, grace, and love of our heavenly Father. I, too, have gone through times in my life when I have been ashamed or felt extreme guilt about going to confession. These feelings keep us from the healing graces available through the sacrament.

Fr. Mike Schmitz has some great tips about going in for reconciliation. “..honestly, the most important thing in going to Confession when you haven’t been for a while is: just go. I can’t tell you how many people walk in and say something like, “I haven’t been to Confession since second grade…” So we talk and I’ll walk them through it; the priest went to school for this…he knows you may get a little lost.” Here are a few suggestions to help prepare for the sacrament.

First: Get a good examination of conscience.

Second: Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be honest with yourself as you read through the Examination of Conscience.

Third: Find out when and where the next available Confession is held.

Fourth (optional): Write down what you want to confess. It is helpful if you have figured out what the sin is “called” and include the estimated number of times you committed that particular sin. Refer to the examination of conscience and if it’s a mortal or venial sin.

Five: Show up at a Confession location during the time for Confession (or make an appointment).

Six: Walk in, let the priest know what you’re up to. You can say, “Bless me, Father. It’s been XXX long since my last Confession. Here are my sins.” Or if you lose your train of thought and totally forget. You can tell him that too. “Father, I’ve totally blanked. How do I start?” I’ve also said, “I don’t know where to start. Will you help me through this?” Each of these is absolutely acceptable.

Seven: Listen to the priest and don’t be upset if his advice isn’t the most profound thing you’ve ever heard. He will give you something to do: penance. It’s supposed to help you take your next steps forward after Confession is over.

Eight: Leave the “Confession space” and do your penance and be joyful! Your sins have been forgiven!

Remember what Pope Francis said, “the sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament of healing. Be courageous, and go to confession.”

If you have more questions check out Catholics come home.org

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Beth is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She brings a unique depth of experience to the group due to her time spent in education, parish ministries, sales and the service industry over the last 25 yrs. She is a practicing spiritual director as well as a Secular Franciscan (OFS). Beth is quick to offer a laugh, a prayer or smile to all she comes in contact with. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.
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Now is the Day of Salvation

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“Behold now is a very acceptable time; Behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Today is a significant day for us Catholics. It is a day that we wear a sign of ashes upon our foreheads. It is a day that we show vulnerability to the world of who we are- a people who return. We are humans whose hearts must return again and again back to God. This is an acceptable time, a time of true salvation. This truth is proclaimed in our Scripture readings today and it made me pause and think about how radical this simple phrase is. God is telling us that right now- right at this moment- it is acceptable… As human beings, we are very good at excuses. Our lives are filled with chores, deadlines, quotas, school plays, soccer games, and commutes. We have tons of responses to explain why right now isn’t “a good time”.  But as usual, God calls us out (in the most loving way). He calls us out of our fog and apathy. He tells us that right now actually isn’t just a good time- it is the best time.

In the Gospel reading, we hear Jesus informing His disciples on how to authentically fast and pray. He warns them not to be hypocrites. He is warning us too! He explains that we must not pray so that other people will see us, but to pray in secret. I love that Jesus says this to us. Honestly, I am not proud to share this, but I can get very wrapped up in comparing my “holiness” to the holiness of those around me.  Jesus gently reminds us that it’s not about them. It’s about you and Him. It’s not about someone’s opinion of your “level of holiness”. It’s about your personal and intimate time with Jesus, which no one needs to see for validation. I hope that as you begin this Lenten season you may enter into a secret place of prayer.  A secret place in your home or your heart that you reside with Him, that you don’t need to boast about. A place where you can just be and you can return to Him again.

Every hour, minute, and second is the most perfect time for us to return to Him. This is what Lent is all about. This is what Ash Wednesday is all about, remembering that we are dust and to dust, we shall return. It is now that Christ calls our hearts back to Him. “Even now, says the LORD, return to me with your WHOLE heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning.” When we simply decide to not make excuses, but to genuinely turn our hearts and eyes back to God, we encounter Him again. I’ve realized in my life that if I am not allowing myself to authentically encounter Jesus, my heart is far from His. An encounter is one of absolute goodness. Encountering Him is encountering graciousness, mercy, and freedom. He is slow to anger and rich in kindness. He does not come to condemn us, but to cleanse us. He cleans out all the gunk and crud that has been overlooked for too long. He wants to give us clean hearts and steadfast spirits. There is no better time than right now to bring your heart back to Him. I pray that you have a blessed Lenten season, focused on returning your heart to Him. I will strive to enter that sacred secret place and I hope you will too. Behold, now is a very acceptable time.  Behold, now is the day of salvation.

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Briana is a Catholic youth minister at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel parish in Cleveland, OH. She is also a nanny and district manager at Arbonne. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH and is excited to use these skills to bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese