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Faith of the Martyrs

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Today is the last day of the U.S. bishop’s annual “Religious Freedom Week”. This week is a recognition of the importance to pray, reflect, and take action on Religious Freedom. It began last Friday with the Memorial of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, two saints who devoted their lives to the good of their country, but in the end, were forced to choose between God and country and chose God.

Today is also the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. As part of Religious Freedom Week, the United States bishops chose today as the day to raise awareness about religious freedom for those who are incarcerated.

The readings tell us the stories of Peter and Paul. In the first, we hear of the martyrdom of James (the first Apostle to be martyred) as well as the arrest of Peter at the hand of Herod. Luke then tells us of the miraculous escape of Peter from his imprisonment through the Angel of the Lord. Peter, because of his faith, was spared by God. God knew that Peter’s time would come but that there was still much work to be done.

And the responsorial psalm fits right into that… “The angel of the Lord will rescue those who fear Him”

In the second reading, we hear St. Paul’s letter to Timothy. Paul wrote this letter from prison and in it, Paul says that he knows that he has done God’s will for him on earth. “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith”. That is all God asks of us: to keep our faith in him until the very end, no matter what we face. Paul was able to die looking forward to eternal happiness and union with God. That is our goal, that is how we should live our lives as well.

The Church was founded on Peter, the rock. A man who, at one time, denied Jesus but lived the rest of his life proclaiming the Good News that is the Resurrection of Christ. Peter and Paul died for what they knew was, and still is the Truth.

May we follow the examples of Saints Peter and Paul and not be afraid to proclaim our faith to the masses. May we fight for Religious Freedom and help those who are persecuted for their faith.

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us!

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Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO is studying for her Master’s in Spanish, and loves her job as an elementary school librarian. She is married to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time, she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others. Check out more of her writing at https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com.

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The Sacred Heart of Jesus

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There is in the Sacred Heart the symbol and express image of the infinite love of Jesus Christ which moves us to love in return. – Pope Leo XIII

Can you pick just one thing that is great about being Catholic? Definitely, the fact that Jesus is present to us body, blood, soul and divinity at every Mass and we can spend time with him physically present in Adoration have to be at the top of the list. But there are some other things which are pretty great about being part of the family of the Church which is known for “both…and…”. There is room under the Catholic roof for loud praise and worship and silent, reverent devotion. We can attend Mass in the language we speak and in the ancient language of the Church. Some of us are called to proclaim the kingdom by working in the world and being a Christ to those we meet outside of the Church and some of us are called to spend our lives working within the Church helping each one become more like Jesus. Under the Catholic roof is some of the most incredible artwork ever created by man and kitschy plastic St. Christophers for on the dash of your car. Not only is there room for both, but we also NEED both!

Our God is incarnational. He took on our flesh, our matter and in doing so, He sanctified all creation. The very physicality of the created world is now capable of pointing us to God and leading us to holiness. 

For those of us who have been around for a while, we don’t even blink an eye or do a double take at the sight of an icon of Jesus with his heart on the outside of his body. Not only is his bloody heart exposed, but it is also wrapped in thorns and on fire! Yikes! But we understand the role of icons. Icons are art which points to something beyond itself. (Sounds pretty close to the definition of a sacrament doesn’t it? There is a pattern here.) 

So for today, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, I invite you to look and really see the icon of the Sacred Heart. As you do, look to the revelation of God’s nature that we are given through the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading. 

Thus says the Lord:

I myself will look after
I will tend
I will rescue
I will lead
I will bring them back
I will pasture
I myself will give them rest
I will seek out
I will bind up
I will heal 

In every age and culture, the heart can be found as a symbol of love and affection. Jesus came as one of us and took that symbol further. He came to show us that love is not just cute cupids. Love is not just when times are good and we feel all emotional. True love is a total gift of self. It is set aside for a purpose and is precious. Love pierces our souls as surely as a thorn pierces flesh. It opens us to something deeper than ourselves and wider than our own interests. Love is a fire which burns but does not consume. It is the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us from our selfish innermost ways. When we give ourselves over to that, when we can give our whole heart without counting the cost, then we are most fulfilled. 

Paradoxical? Yes. 

Wonderful? Absolutely.

Worth it? Without a doubt. 

So gaze upon Jesus’s exposed heart and ask him on this day, and every day, to convert your heart to be just like his; open to all, courageous enough to bear the thorns and on fire with the Holy Spirit.

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If you catch Sheryl sitting still, you are most likely to find her nose stuck in a book. It may be studying with her husband, Tom as he goes through Diaconate Formation,  trying to stay one step ahead of her 5th and 6th-grade students at St Rose of Lima Catholic School or figuring out a new knitting or quilting pattern. 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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The Power of Storytelling

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The first humans, we learned in school, domesticated fire, and in so doing they changed their species’ trajectory dramatically. Now humans could cook food. Now they could live in colder climates. Now they could keep wild animals at bay.

Those early fires served another purpose, just as important: they provided a place for people to gather. And when people gather, the first thing they do is tell stories. We love stories! We love true stories, the stories of our ancestors, the daring feats others performed, the cautionary tales. And we love made-up stories, too, through which we stretch our creativity and learn truths we might not understand otherwise.

God gave us a love of stories, and then he gave us a plethora of stories to love.

It’s not accidental that Christianity is one of the three “religions of the book.” Being Christian is holding dear the stories handed down to us that define who we are, teach us our faith, and challenge us to become better people.

And no one knew the value of storytelling better than Jesus. Throughout the Gospels, we see him time and time again speaking and teaching in parables—stories—just as he is doing in today’s Gospel, when he contrasts the wise man building his house upon a rock with the foolish man building his on sand. In a scenario not unlike those we’re facing already with climate change, “the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house.”

I have to admit this example makes me a little nervous. I live in a very small cottage in a place particularly vulnerable to floods, as my whole community was built—no joke—on a sand bar. In a literal way, I am the foolish man of Jesus’ parable: I see the peril and have chosen to live here nonetheless.

Oops.

But that’s the power in Jesus’ story, isn’t it? It hit close to home for me—well, literally, but figuratively as well. I know well and have accepted my foolishness in living where I do; having that mirror turned toward me in the guise of a story underscores what I already know to be true. So how much more powerful was it for me, then, to understand the truth that’s behind the story: that I can bear to lose my home, should that terrible storm come… but I couldn’t bear to lose something deeper, the point of Jesus’ narrative.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell–and great was its fall!”

We’re all foolish sometimes, in some aspects of our lives, aren’t we? That’s part of human nature. Sometimes we do what’s right, and sometimes we don’t. We make good choices and we make bad choices. But behind all that day-to-day decision-making, beyond all the ups and downs of what each new moment might bring us, is the point Jesus is making: in our spiritual lives, we can’t afford foolishness.

In other words, live in a cottage by the sea if you must, take your chances in this life, but be serious about what needs to be taken seriously.

And what is Jesus so serious about, that he’s making it into a story so we will understand it, so we won’t forget? That we aren’t supposed to just hear the word of God. We’re not supposed to just read the scripture, say the rosary, go to Mass. We’re supposed to act on it. Do something about it. Take it seriously.

The power of storytelling is the power of memory. We might not remember lists, or advice, or historical dates, or what’s in the periodic table of elements, but we remember stories. They enter our consciousness at a different level from facts. They become part of us. To communicate with someone at the deepest level, at the level of memory and faith and love and everything serious, you tell a story. Stories give ideas power.

And so Jesus sits us down around a metaphorical fire and tells us a story. The story has a moral, and it’s a deceptively simple one: we are to act as though we were followers of Christ. A folk song back in the 60s said, “they’ll know we are Christians by our love.” Farther back still, St. Francis of Assisi said, “You may be the only Gospel your neighbor ever reads.” We are called to live differently, to act differently, because we have heard the word of God and it has changed our lives.

Hear Jesus’ words. Act upon them. That is what will make you the wise person, the one who thinks things through, the one who is ready for the storms.

As to where you build your physical house? Well… maybe I’m not the best person to ask about that!

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Jeannette de Beauvoir is a writer and editor with the digital department of Pauline Books & Media, working on projects as disparate as newsletters, book clubs, ebooks, and retreats that support the apostolate of the Daughters of St. Paul at http://www.pauline.org.

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He Remembers Forever His Covenant, which He Made Binding for a Thousand Generations

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Can you even fathom a thousand generations? By today’s standard of 20-25 years per generation, we would go back, from today, 20,000 to 25,000 years. Calendars didn’t even exist then, to mark the years as we do today. Let’s just agree it is a very long time. By God’s standard, it is an eternity.

God made covenants with Abram, Noah, and others. An unbreakable promise of fidelity. Today we enter in “contracts” of many kinds: credit card company terms; a mortgage on our house; contracts between two parties to collaborate on an issue; employment terms or simply promises made — and on and on. So, what’s the big deal.

Here’s the big deal – a promise made or a contract broken is one person to another. I break my contract with you, and you either forget the contract or sue me for breach. God, on the other hand, will not! That is the nature of covenant. I forget to love and honor others, or to obey his precepts; he does not forget us. God cannot and will not, break his promises to us, regardless of careless attention to our part of the deal.

The covenant God made with Abram was profound. Abram’s name will be changed to Abraham to signify that something different is happening and Abraham will have descendants as numerous as the stars. All from one son who will be born to him and Sarah (Sarai) in their very old age.

Today, we celebrate the New Covenant given us by Jesus with the institution of the Eucharist at the Last Supper. The old covenant given by God (the sacrifice of bulls & other animals) is replaced with something more precious, the sacrifice of his Son. Jesus’ own body and blood for our spiritual food. His own! And again, though we constantly sin, constantly ignore what is good for us, Jesus does not forget us! His covenant is binding to a thousand generations. How small, how insignificant our own lifetimes in comparison.

You may recall that the covenant with Noah was sealed by a bow – a rainbow in the sky – a promise that God will never again destroy humankind in such a way. Whether or not you believe the story of the great flood literally, or figuratively, doesn’t matter. God made a covenant promise that will stand forever. And Jesus will never, no matter what we do, withdraw the great gift of himself given as the New Covenant.

Sometime last year, I recall, backing out of my garage and turning to drive from the parking area. As I turned the car, there in front of me, in the early morning sky, was the largest, most beautiful rainbow I had ever seen. It was so vibrant and seemed so close; I thought I could reach out my car window and touch it. I was so excited! It was gorgeous. I tried to call my neighbor to look out to see it, but I fumbled because I didn’t want to lose sight of the rainbow before it faded.

Every time I see a rainbow, I am mindful of the great promises of God and his fidelity to us. I believe this phenomenon of nature was designed to do just that. To help us to remember the great love of God and his Son for we simple, humble beings. How could we not be excited?

God Bless.

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Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager at Diocesan, is a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. Jeanne has worked in parish ministry as an RCIA director, in Liturgy, and as a Cantor. Working word puzzles and reading fill her spare time. Jeanne can be reached at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.

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Leave our Quarreling

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It seems that everywhere we look there is strife among kinsmen, just like in today’s First Reading. Whether it be jealousy, hurtful words, constant comparisons, or simple differences of opinion, so many things can cause division. In the case of Abram and Lot, it was wealth. They had so many possessions they couldn’t live together. There were quarrels… over what? Hey, your sheep are grazing on my grass! Your turkeys are squawking too loud! Your tent flap is hitting my tent flap! The sun is reflecting off your gold and hurting my eyes…!

Doesn’t it all sound so ridiculous? If we allow ourselves to fall into that trap, we can find little things to argue about all day long. We can allow conflict to eat us up, ruin our relationships and turn us into disgruntled souls. Or, we can choose simplicity, positivity, and love.

Thankfully, my family has never had to worry about wealth. Since I was a kid, we were a middle-class family that watched every penny to get by. I was delivering newspapers by age 8, babysitting by age 11 and bought my own CD’s, Chap Stick and cars. Anything that wasn’t food, shelter, and clothing I purchased with my own nickels and dimes.

Now I have a family of my own, a small army of little boys, and we are living pretty close to the same blueprint. We live in the house I group up in, my sons go to the same Catholic School I did and they are also learning hard work and responsibility. We live on one income and spend as much time outdoors as possible. Sure, they fight over toys, perhaps their version of “wealth” but there are no video games, no tablets, and only one family TV. They wear clothing shared among their cousins and their sporting equipment comes from thrift stores and rummage sales.

I realize that perhaps we are an oddity in today’s society. We don’t ask Alexa what the weather is like each morning or even let our boys hold our phones. We drive old cars so we really don’t care if they have one more dent from a stray soccer ball. We don’t keep up on the day’s news or the latest sports headline. We just live. Food, clothing, shelter. Throw in a few dozen activities to keep the kiddos moving and we’re all set until we crash into bed at the end of each day.

Perhaps a bit too simplistic, but the less you have, the less there is to bicker about. The less you have, the more silence there is to just be. The less you have, the more you can reflect on all that God wants you to be. Looking at life from this perspective, we begin to see the wisdom of evangelical poverty.

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.” ( Mt 7: 13-14)

May God grant us the grace to leave our quarreling and our ‘riches’ behind in order to be one of those few who find that narrow road that leads to life.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Call Me John

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I’ll be the first to tell you: I had no idea that today’s feast day existed until recently. Hold off for a minute before you Google the answer.

A few days ago, I was sitting at my desk writing feast days and solemnities into my summer calendar (because feast days = great social media content #youthministrylife) and I saw today’s date in white on the USCCB website. So I started thinking …

What in the world is celebrated on June 24? Assumption? Nope, that’s in August. Ascension? That was earlier in the month.

Today is the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. A solemnity. Wow. What was I missing?

Think about what we celebrate on Christmas – the Nativity of the Lord. John the Baptist is in elite company when it comes to the liturgical calendar.

There is so much beauty in today’s Gospel reading. Picture for just a moment being in Elizabeth’s shoes as she awaits the birth of her child. Any parent can testify to the joyful anticipation in that stage of life and that feeling had to have been magnified one hundred fold for Elizabeth. She had hoped and prayed for a child for many years and did not conceive until she was barren. Knowing her age, there also might have been a quiet sense of fear, of not wanting anything to happen to her little one before the end of her pregnancy.

Once John was born, it was an event to be celebrated as neighbors gathered together and rejoiced. The Lord had shown such kindness and mercy toward Elizabeth which was so evident, how could you not give thanks?

Eight days later, many of those same people, I would imagine, came together to circumcise the child and give him a name, presumably that of Zechariah. Yet Elizabeth declared that the boy would be named John, which confused the crowd. They then turned to Zechariah himself, assuming that he would overrule his wife and follow the tradition of keeping the child’s name in the family. Unable to speak for himself, Zechariah stood by his wife and the word of the Lord by declaring the child’s name to be John. At once, his tongue unraveled and he was able to speak again.

Joy. Longing. Anticipation. Listening and following the Lord. Simple yet necessary reminders from this Gospel and today’s solemnity. Take them to heart with you today and for the days to come.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Following graduation, she began volunteering in youth ministry at her home parish of Holy Family Church. Her first “big girl” job was in collegiate sports information where, after a busy two years in the profession on top of serving the youth, she took a leap of faith and followed the Lord’s call to full-time youth ministry at St. Peter Church. She still hopes to use her communication arts degree as a freelance writer and statistician, though. You can catch her on the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Don’t Worry

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The readings today have always challenged me. Each reading has hit me differently with every season of life, most especially when I had my youngest child, was in the process of changing jobs, going through my divorce, and waiting for my final annulment decree. Along the way, I‘ve added to my many weaknesses: gossip, food, shoes, clothes, my weight, hair, my word choice, doing the right thing, not doing anything…the list goes on and not much seems to be subtracted.

Many times, I have been caught up in the judgment of others and even worse, how I perceive myself. I’ve struggled with surrendering these worries to God. Even when I KNOW that God loves me unconditionally. I sometimes forget this very basic truth. God loves me as I am, with all my imperfections. He loves me no matter what season of life or challenge I may be working through.

St. Paul tells us that he spoke to the Lord about his weaknesses. The Lord said to him, “‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2Cor 12:9-10).

Yet here I am again, forgetting that I am a beloved daughter of the Lord. All those worries and fears of rejection or failure still cloud my self-awareness. Being a member of the 21st century has many traps and paths to lead me astray and into doubt, away from His love. This is when I need to lean into His graces by going to Mass or confession more frequently. I can certainly spend a few moments during the day reading scripture to help me refocus my attention.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing….your heavenly Father knows that you need them all…Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.” Mt 6:25, 32, 34   

I can’t travel back to the past, but I can change how I react to each situation as I go forward in life with God’s help. I can use the way I feel about my past and the things I wish that I had reacted to differently to reshape how I react to the present. This week give it a try. Look back on your past and realize that you have been taken care of by your God. Jesus himself told us not to worry. Let the worries, complaining and judgments go and trust that your heavenly Father knows all that you need; tomorrow will take care of itself.

Erma Bombeck summed it up this way in a reflection titled, “If I Had My Life to Live Over,” saying:

If I had my life to live over again I would have waxed less and listened more.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy and complaining about the shadow over my feet, I’d have cherished every minute of it and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was to be my only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten popcorn in the “good” living room and worried less about the dirt when you lit the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have burnt the pink candle that was sculptured like a rose before it melted while being stored.

I would have sat cross-legged on the lawn with my children and never worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television … and more while watching real life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband which I took for granted.

I would have eaten less cottage cheese and more ice cream.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick, instead of pretending the Earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for a day.

I would never have bought ANYTHING just because it was practical/wouldn’t show soil/ guaranteed to last a lifetime.

When my child kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now, go get washed up for dinner.”

There would have been more I love you’s … more I’m sorry’s … more I’m listenings … but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute of it … look at it and really see it … try it on … live it … exhaust it … and never give that minute back until there was nothing left of it.

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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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The greatest treasure my dad would never let go of

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Recently I spent a week cleaning out my parents’ house with them so it could be put on the market. Typical of any family home that had been lived in for over 50 years, we had to deal with the expected accumulation of gifts, clothes, family memories, and just “stuff” that was long overdue for a trip to Good Will or to the dump. Lots of memories, loads of laughs, and even a few tears. The dulcimers that we made in elementary school in the early 70s still hung proudly on our basement walls next to a Christmas album cover of a record I had sung on when I was in my early twenties. Endless books that had fortified our faith through decades as well as the rock we had brought back from Sugarloaf mountain in Minnesota during a vacation that our family had enjoyed with my grandparents when I was twelve.

This exercise on cleaning out in order to move into a much smaller home put my parents per forza within the trend toward minimalism. Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, brought minimalism to the mainstream. This movement has inspired people, particularly millennials, to move into smaller homes, cut their wardrobes and regularly give away the possessions they aren’t actively using.

As we gradually focused what my parents would take with them to their new home, I had a clearer sense of the worthlessness of so much of what we don’t let go of along the way, even as the “worthwhileness” of even very humble objects was enhanced. For example, in a corner of one box, I discovered the two tiny wood-carved shoes that were an ornament from my great grandparents’ Christmas tree (and made sure they were in the “to take with us” box), and the plaque commemorating my grandpa’s introduction into the Softball Hall of Fame. Perhaps minimalism is so popular among the millennials because they have a much shorter memory of family history and commitment to relationships across the decades that tie people together through shared experiences of tears and joy.

No, as we worked through the rooms in my parents’ home, it was clear that this was about much more than tidying up so as to live with less. My dad let go of his easy chair so my mom could keep the rocker that had been from her mother’s home. He passed on his own mother’s china to my brother so mom could keep her mother’s china. They were decisions he made on his own and silently implemented without discussion. Even though I knew it was hard for dad to let go of the china cabinets from his mother’s home and the dining room table because they just wouldn’t fit, his greatest treasure he would never let go of was mom.

Focusing your heart on your treasure doesn’t necessarily mean looking away from “earthly” treasure. It means using, loving, giving treasure motivated by love, for love is the greatest gift and the highest treasure of all.

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be.

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Kathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey.

Website: www.touchingthesunrise.com

Public Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/srkathrynhermes/

For monthly spiritual journaling guides, weekly podcasts and over 50 conferences and retreat programs join my Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/srkathryn.

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The Heart of Baptism

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“What have I done with my baptism and confirmation? Is Christ really at the center of my life? Do I have time for prayer in my life? Do I live my life as a vocation and mission?”

– Pope St. John Paul II

I have always found water to be beautiful and terrifying all at the same time. One minute water can be still as glass and other times it chops and crashes against the shore. Some individuals will not step into open water, while others go swimming with sharks. I believe that water demands respect – you have to understand the elements and how they work together to impact the terrain ahead.

My great trust in the water started when I was 4, the point in time where I started to take swim lessons. I was that kid that would jump into the deep end with no fear, and so my parents wanted me to start lessons as soon as possible so that I developed an understanding of water. From these lessons, I grew stronger in the water and began swimming competitively. By the time I was 5, I started to compete in meets, and this continued for 14 years of my life. After a 9 year break from swimming, I am finally training again and competing in meets this weekend.

While I have a pretty strong comfort level in the water I still know not to underestimate its power (whether in a pool or open water). When it comes to open water settings the current and tides are major factors of how safe the water is. The weather also determines a good day for embarking on an open water journey.

Why do I keep going on about water? Well, today is the day in history that Pope St. John Paul II was baptized in Wadowice, Poland. One of the greatest saints of all time began his journey in Christ at this key moment in history, and his story is all of our stories.

When we receive God’s grace through baptism it may seem incidental to some. While we receive three drops of water in the name of the Trinity, so much is happening beyond what we can see at the moment. Our baptism signifies our joining the body of Christ, and when we join Christ on this adventure we welcome the calm and stormy seas of life – we say yes to all He wants to give us. More often than not we will be walking towards Christ upon the stormy sea, but the grace of our baptism demands that we follow Him no matter where He leads.

Our Lord is the ultimate Navigator of the waters, so much so that He can cast out demons, calm the storm, and heal the blind. He can move mountains, part the seas, and change water into wine. When we receive our baptism we embark on the seas of life that will test our faith to limits that we are unaware of in the present moment.  Do we call upon our baptismal graces in our times of doubt, fear, and hopelessness? Do we ask great things of God because He is God, and in turn expect great things to happen according to His will?

I remember being baptized when I was 21 – I was fully submerged three times in the name of the Trinity. This was a beautiful moment in my faith journey, and I admit that I didn’t understand everything that was happening within me at that moment. Looking back in time I can see the moments I called upon my baptismal promises so that I could navigate the seas of life through the various calls that God gave me – becoming Catholic, saying yes to marrying my amazing husband, and even moving to another city within the same week of getting married.

Times of consistency and times of conversion will continue to ebb and flow like a river in and out of our lives. How do we respond to these seasons? My desire is to give God my yes with all that He brings my way, trusting in the graces of my baptism and all of the sacraments. I challenge you to meditate upon the rivers of life that God has brought you through up to this point, including all of the turbulence and smooth currents. How have you responded to these times in your life – with fear, doubt, hope, or trust? How can you see your baptism and the promises God has made to you through these times in your life?

Now that I am swimming again in the pool I am learning to listen to my body and know my limits, while not being afraid to try new things. I pray that you learn from the past experiences God has brought you through and that you ultimately learn to trust Him when He asks you to stay away or enter into various waters – this is the Heart of Baptism. He is the ultimate Navigator – He will keep you safe wherever the waters may take you on your journey to Heaven and Sainthood.

“You cannot be half a saint. You must be a whole saint or no saint at all.” -St. Therese of Lisieux

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  She loves to share her passion for Catholicism with others, including her conversion story and how God continues to work miracles in her life through her OCD.  Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II. She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at nshultz@diocesan.com.

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Called Out

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Y’all, after going over today’s readings, I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more called out in my life.

Yesterday, I was backing out of a parking space of my church when a homeless man approached me. He offered to wash my windshield or tire rims for “whatever change [I] have lying around.” This man didn’t ask for dollars, just my loose change. I said that I didn’t need anything cleaned since it had just rained and was going to rain again later, but I could give him some money anyway. I looked at my change container and literally thought, I have probably three dollars in change here. I don’t want to give away my quarters. I think I have a one dollar bill in my wallet, so I’ll do that instead.

I know, I know. That’s awful. I didn’t even want to share this story with anyone because even as I type this, I feel so embarrassed and ashamed of myself for even thinking that.

How ungrateful am I that I don’t want to part with my precious quarters even though this man asked for enough to just buy a burger from McDonald’s? Instead of wanting to give him more than he asked, I wanted to round out his 87 cents so he could just barely get himself a single burger off the dollar menu.  

Well, the joke was on me. I looked in my wallet and all I had was a ten dollar bill.

When I handed it over to the man, his eyes lit up and he almost started crying. He even asked if I came to this church often because he wanted to wash my windshield for me anytime he saw my car to repay me. Of course, once I saw his face, I was glad I gave him more than a dollar or two.

Still, though, this morning, I was sad that I couldn’t buy breakfast because I didn’t have that ten dollar bill. I even called my boyfriend to complain because I didn’t have the cash to buy food. So imagine how I feel when the first reading says, “God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.” Not only does it say that, but it even says that “he gives to the poor.” Oh, you know, like I reluctantly did last night?

As my friend said, it was a 2×4 from God whacking me on the head. As if God saw me regretting being generous and wanted to let me know with very pointed scripture that He’s “not mad, just disappointed” in me. And we all know that is WAY worse.

So I hope y’all are able to learn from my selfish mistake. Remember that not only is God always watching, but he knows your thoughts and intentions. He does not bless us so that we can be selfish and see the poor as a burden or annoyance. Yes, God wants us to live well and succeed, but he provides so that we can share our gifts, monetary or spiritual, with others without feeling like we’re obligated to. It’s the difference between having a generous attitude and a “holier than thou” attitude.

If you find yourself struggling with this, read this prayer by St. Ignatius, these prayers, or even this one, if you’ve got the time. 

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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.