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The Mysteries of God’s Sacred Heart

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Have you ever heard the song “Blessings” by Laura Story? It beautifully depicts one of the greatest paradoxes of the Christian life. 

“ ’Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops? What if your healing comes through tears? What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know you’re near? And what if trials in this life, are your mercies in disguise?”

As I sit in a hospital room yet again with my son, who is experiencing post-op complications, I listen to this song over and over and let the tears fall. Are they healing tears? I have yet to find out. Have I had a thousand sleepless nights? It’s definitely been more than a few. Do I feel like this trial is God’s mercy? Absolutely not. 

Yet, who am I to predict the end of the story? Maybe I do need a few more nights of agony to realize how near God is to me through it all, how He wants to hold me close and wipe my tears away.

The song goes on to say “The pain reminds this heart that this is not, this is not our home. It’s not our home”! [] “What if my greatest disappointments, or the aching of this life, is a revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy?” Well, I am aching for sure. There is something basically unfair about watching a child suffer. It is times like these that truly make us long for heaven. 

And how fitting to long for heaven on a day like today, when we begin the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. We will never understand the depths of His love or why it is that the trials of this life are evidence of his mercy. These are just a couple of the mysteries whose answers will be revealed in heaven. 

Today’s Alleluia Antiphon states: “May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ enlighten the eyes of our hearts, that we may know what is the hope that belongs to his call.”

I pray that He enlighten the eyes of my heart. I need it so bad. I feel like my faith is so practical yet so little heartfelt. I live it day in a day out, but how much do I love within it? I love through actions, fulfillment of duty, yet when I am not able to carry out that duty due to headstrong children, a family member’s angry reaction or continuous illness, where is my love then? Where is my hope?

Friends, our Lord has come to give us this hope and show us His fathomless love. Whether you are going through a storm right now as I am, or your raindrops have ceased for a season, I pray that the Lord show you the depths of His Sacred Heart. May you truly know the hope that belongs to your call to be His disciple and carry His love to others. 

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Tami Urcia 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 her parish, 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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Blessed are you who believe!

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Promises! Elizabeth said to Mary, “Blessed are you for believing that what was promised to you would be fulfilled.”

Those words could be repeated to Mary at the foot of the cross as her son was dying, “Blessed are you, O Mary, for believing that what was promised to you would even now be fulfilled.”

They could be proclaimed at Pentecost, “Blessed are you who believed what was promised! It shall be fulfilled!”

They were sung at the moment of her Assumption into heaven, “Blessed, most blessed among all earth’s women, are you, Mary, for you believed, you never wavered, even in suffering you were steadfast in the certainty that God would keep his promises to you.”

Life is hard enough at times, and I think too often we forget the promises God has made to us, words of power that will keep any storm from overwhelming our fragile boats. 

Elizabeth and Mary were two women—one too old to bear a child and the other barely a child herself—who became the channel of God’s mercy poured out through his Son in the redemption of the world: Jesus Christ, fulfillment of the Promise.

Both Elizabeth and Mary may have felt that this vocation was beyond their personal capacity…but they believed that what God had begun in them he would bring to completion in his own way, in his own time, through his grace. They knew there were no guarantees, there was no way to control or manipulate the future. What was left to them was praise and joyful wonder at what God was doing in and through them.

In the Responsorial Psalm we hear their quiet joy and firm and solid hope:

God indeed is my savior;
    I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
    and he has been my savior….

Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
    for great in your midst 
    is the Holy One of Israel.

What is God doing in you? Like Elizabeth and Mary take some time today to notice, to sing, to rejoice, to believe, to trust. “God indeed is my Savior, I am confident and unafraid.”

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Sr. Kathryn J. HermesKathryn 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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Embracing the Great Commission

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In today’s Gospel, Jesus can be found giving His final instructions to the apostles before His Ascension. This is their great commissioning. Jesus has prepared them to continue His mission once He has returned to His Father in heaven. He has spent forty days with them since His Resurrection, opening their eyes to all of Scripture, preparing them for the day that He will no longer be with them. He has already died and risen from the grave; now it is time to return to the Father. They have spent the past three years with Him, learning from Him as they followed Him. But now they know that they will be on their own, and they’re scared. 

The apostles worship Jesus Christ, but they also doubt. What can they possibly doubt at this point? They witnessed countless miracles. They saw Jesus make the lame walk, the blind see. They were there when He raised Lazarus from the dead. They were there when He rose from the dead Himself after three days in the grave. What can they possibly doubt now? 

Maybe they doubt themselves. Maybe they doubt that they will be able to carry on Christ’s mission once He’s gone. Maybe they doubt that they will have what it takes to proclaim the Good News once they’re on their own. So Jesus offers His help. He tells them exactly what He wants them to do once He’s gone- “Go…and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

Jesus tells them what He expects them to do once He’s gone. They are to go out and make disciples. They are to baptize these new disciples. And they are to teach them. They will be evangelists. They will be priests. They will be catechists. God has big plans for these eleven men, the first of their kind. Jesus Christ gives them the guidance they’ll need to continue His mission once He’s gone. But that’s not all He does for them. 

Before Jesus goes, He promises that He will remain with His disciples always. Even though He is returning to His Father, He will not abandon His followers. He will not leave us alone. He does this in two ways. First, He sends the Holy Spirit, which we all receive in Baptism. Second, He gives us His very Body and Blood, which we receive in the Eucharist. Because in the end, when He calls His apostles, He is calling all of us. He is calling all of His disciples. We are all called to go and evangelize. We can even baptize if the situation necessitates it. 

And Jesus Christ will remain with us always, to the end of time itself. That was the final promise Jesus made to us, and He does not break His promises. 

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Shannon Whitmore currently lives in northwestern Virginia with her husband, Andrew, and their two children, John and Felicity. When she is not caring for her children, Shannon enjoys writing for her blog, Love in the Little Things, reading fiction, and freelance writing. She has experience serving in the areas of youth ministry, religious education, sacramental preparation, and marriage enrichment.

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Swimming Upstream

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I think it’s interesting that as a practicing Catholic I am counter-cultural. It’s not a label I expected to be slapped to my shoulders. In today’s Responsorial Psalm I’m reminded why this counter-cultural stamp is true, because in Psalm 19 we read about law, specifically God’s law and this is something that makes people uncomfortable.

We live in a time of your truth, my truth, his truth, and her truth. It’s all good. We each know best. We’re not happy, at peace, or joyful, but we cling to this ideology. But in Psalm 19, we not only acknowledge the goodness and rightness of God’s law, we rejoice in it and celebrate it. The culture that I – and probably you too – seem to be counter to can’t abide by any sort of truth. There cannot be right and wrong because then someone is wrong and that’s not nice. We signal our love for someone by accepting as truth whatever works for that person, regardless of consequences.

Let’s swim upstream: who invented the universe? God. Who keeps the universe going? God. Who created you and me? God. Who keeps us waking up every morning? God. It seems that the one who does all the creating and maintaining should surely be the one who writes the rules. 

The rules are good and not arbitrary. The psalmist sings in praise of these laws from a perfect and trustworthy God. These laws give us joy. They are precious.

There is great comfort in knowing we are led by a Father who acts out of love, who we can trust, and who wants only good for us. Because of this he gave us laws. He knows us, he  knows what we face, and he knows that his law will help us, not hurt or hobble us.

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Alleluia!

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Merridith Frediani’s perfect day includes prayer, writing, unrushed morning coffee, reading, tending to dahlias, and playing Sheepshead with her husband and three kids.  She loves finding God in the silly and ordinary.  She writes for Ascension Press, Catholic Mom, and her local Catholic Herald in Milwaukee. Her first book Draw Close to Jesus: A Woman’s Guide to Eucharistic Adoration is expected to be released summer 2021. You can reach her at merridith.frediani@gmail.com

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The Lord Delights in His People

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Today’s readings are rich in imagery: ancestors, godly men, virtues, the Lord delighting in his people, bearing fruit, the withered fig tree, the temple area comotion, faith in God, prayer and forgiveness are found within these verses. 

My attention keeps coming back to the last line of the Gospel, “When you stand to pray, forgive anyone against whom you have a grievance, so that your heavenly Father may in turn forgive you your transgressions.”  Mk 11:25  This is vital to living in right relationship with the Father. 

As a chosen one of God, created in His image, I have been called to honor (pray), witness (serve, act) and bear fruit to the truth of the Way for all of creation.

The ultimate love of the Father was the sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ. He showed us the Way of life through his example of love and prayer, service and sacrifice. Jesus forgives all because He loves all, even when someone’s actions hurt or take advantage of others.

Being chosen means I have to acknowledge being human. I am accountable for the good and the bad choices and decisions in my life. I am to be as forgiving as Jesus and my Father are to all. The biggest challenge is to do that every moment of everyday; to show compassion and extend forgiveness to everyone through the Spirit and the love of God outpoured in the world.

God takes delight in His people. God takes delight in you. The following songs help me take the next step on the Way.

Chosen, Sidewalk Prophets
Help is on The Way, TobyMac
Truth be Told, Matthew West
Aware, Salvador

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Beth Price is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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Eye on the Prize

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The story of Bartimaeus is echoed in both Matthew and Luke’s Gospel. This image of Jesus healing a blind man (or in Matthew’s case two blind men) is of critical importance for the early disciples of Jesus. When John the Baptist sent his followers to Jesus to ask if he was the Messiah, Jesus asks them to consider what they have seen: “the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Matthew 11:5). Jesus is referencing prophecies from the Book of Isaiah about the coming of the Messiah.

In today’s world, we are blessed with medicine and technology that would have seemed more than miraculous to a First Century person. People born with disabilities can be helped, children born deaf can be given the gift of hearing, a person who is blind can be taught to read and write. These are miraculous things, which we so often take for granted. 

The lesson I found myself gravitating to as I pondered this passage was that Bartimaeus, while being blind, had found a way to keep his eye on the prize. He did not waver in his attempts to reach Jesus. Even when the crowd tried to discourage him, to belittle him, he did not waver. The Gospel writer tells us this discouragement actually provided fuel for his fervor and he cried out all the louder. 

Bartimaeus knew how he could be healed. He knew Jesus was the one to give him that gift. He relentlessly pursued Jesus with all of his strength. He did not let his blindness stop him. He did not allow the crowd to cause him to pause, to doubt himself or what he knew to be true. What things we could accomplish if we could focus on them the way that Bartimaeus focused on Jesus. Now, stop and think of what God could accomplish in us if we did not pursue “things” but rather, pursued Him.

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Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at DailyGraces.net.

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Want To Be First?

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I really wanted to talk about Sirach today. He beseeches the Lord to pour out his grace and blessings upon all his servants. In a way, this is our daily prayer. As you know, his mercy is everlasting! 

In the Gospel of Mark today, we read, “taking them aside again”….. he tells them what, in detail, will happen to him.” After all that, the two brothers, James and John beg Jesus to let them have a high spot in heaven. Jesus replied by asking them if they can go through what he will go through. They answered, “We can!” Yeah, right! It would take some time for the disciples to truly understand what he was really saying.  In our human nature, many desire to be held in high esteem, to be number one, to be admired, and to portray that perfect person. That is a pretty tall order! Having the best clothes, the newest car, a bigger house, the finest watches… this is not what it’s all cracked up to be!

The greatest man alive, Jesus Christ, did not model those things of pride. No, he came as a servant, a suffering servant. Who are those today that model that same behavior? The first ones that come to mind are grandmothers. Most grandmothers are in constant motion helping their daughters and daughters in-law with their children and grandchildren with babysitting and house chores, and during the covid Pandemic, with homeschooling! Some young mothers and fathers were blindsided when all of a sudden their home became a school. Big shock!

I know one grandmother that drove 70 miles round trip two times a week to help their struggling daughters. Sometimes the modeling of Jesus Christ is as close as our own families or extended families. As we hear the voices of James and John today, do we hear ourselves? Probably, but still today the Lord speaks to us the same way. He loves us so much that he pulls us to himself. And calls us to servanthood. If you haven’t read Matthew 25 for a while, read it again. And find yourself in it!

Serving with joy!

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Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They are the parents of eight children and twenty-nine grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002.  He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.

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What Will I Leave Behind to Follow Christ

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I have a lot of crazy things to bemoan. Most were embarrassing or even downright stupid: such as smoking, swearing, skipping school, driving too fast, bullying the poor boy that sat in front of me in math class. The world meant everything; I wanted my peers to embrace me as I worked toward acquiring the latest and greatest material things. It feels as if my entire teenage years were spent trying to fit into some specific group or place.

While perhaps these activities are typical at that age, they were still dangerous, absolutely awful, and in the end, downright sinful.  Yet, I didn’t care; I suffered from an earthly, misguided tunnel-vision.  I worried only about what I could see, without a thought beyond this realm or of the eternal consequences of my behavior. Leaving it all behind to follow Jesus never entered my mind; that life seemed dull and hollow—if it was even real.

In my teens, I longed for what was below. I cared what other people thought of me. I sought acceptance and approval from my peers, whatever the cost. It was an incredibly egocentric period, yet ironically a time filled with uncertainty and insecurity. 

My dreams included marrying someone rich but also being rich and famous myself. I read Cosmo and Tiger Beat magazines and strived to look as model-like as possible and judged and scorned those who did not. At parties, I sought the most popular people to impress and joined the ridicule of those not in that group. My validation of worth came from the world’s view, and being someone of significance in the eyes of family and friends, even strangers, enveloped my whole being.

I wish I could look back at my life and say these thoughts and behaviors remained a part of my immature teenage self, but alas, that is not so. Gossip, judging others, making poor choices to belong to a particular crowd would follow me throughout most of my life until I discovered the Truth. Joy came when I was finally willing to be last and strive toward heavenly rewards. 

Through tradition and Scripture, I learned that there is more, much more, beyond this earthly dwelling place, and finally allowed what is above to matter more than this world. This renewing of my mind was not easy and came with many tears, regrets, and painful confessions. Yet, it was not impossible, and the freedom and hope I now feel striving not to belong to the world are by far more amazing than anything I attempted to attain here below.

As you think about your current state of life, can you say you are more concerned with the things of Heaven? Are you rooted in the things of earth? Could you leave them behind to follow Jesus?

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Allison Gingras works for WINE: Women In the New Evangelization as National WINE Steward of the Virtual Vineyard. She is a Social Media Consultant for the Diocese of Fall River and CatholicMom.com. She is a writer, speaker, and podcaster, who founded ReconciledToYou.com and developed the Stay Connected Journals for Catholic Women (OSV).   

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The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

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Mother of the Church

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Today we celebrate the Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church. Our Lady, as the woman through whom the Lord came into the world, sits as Queen of the Church, continuing to mediate His graces.

Even knowing the memorial, the First Reading can seem out of left field. Why are we hearing about the Fall on the feast day of Mary? The key is in Genesis 3:15, traditionally called the Protoevangelium, or “First Gospel”: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel.” It is considered the first proclamation of the triumph of the Messiah.

This most obviously refers to the conflict between our first parents and Satan, but it also refers to a number of other things. Depending on the language translated, it can either read as shown, or as “she will strike at your head.” Both interpretations are valid, one referring to the Messiah and the other to a female descendent of Eve. This female descendant, who will strike at Satan’s head, is none other than our Blessed Mother, the Mother of the Church.

Mary’s authority is not simply abstract. From the beginning of history, the Lord intended that she would not only bear the Savior of the world, but also that she would conquer Satan through her ministry. This is borne out not only in Marian apparitions, but even in the realm of exorcism: demons are no match for Our Lady. Her intercession is truly powerful, as we acknowledge in the Memorare.

The triumph of Our Lady, predicted in Genesis 3:15, gets fleshed out at Our Lord’s crucifixion. As we see in the Gospel, Jesus’ last act before His death is to entrust Mary to John and vice versa. The saints have always interpreted this to mean that Jesus is giving Mary to the Church as Mother, and the Church to Mary. Christ certainly rules His Church, but He chooses to do so through Mary, just as He chose to become flesh through her. 

The ecclesial typology is complete with the piercing of Christ’s side. Blood and water flow out, symbolizing the Eucharist and Baptism, marking the birth of the Church. Just as Eve came from Adam’s side, so too does the Church come from the side of Christ. None of this escapes John, the same disciple to whom Mary was entrusted.

As Mother of the Church, Mary, the “Destroyer of all heresies,” helps to preserve her from error and apostasy. She protects the Church from those who would subvert her purpose, and keeps her members fixed on Christ. Though she does not have much to say in the Gospels, she rules the Church with serenity and authority. She excellently fulfills the role of Queen Mother, serving at the right hand of the King.

Today, we receive a welcome reminder of Our Lady’s intercession, and ultimately of Our Lord’s provision for His people. Let us turn to Mary, Mother of the Church, knowing that her intercession and authority are both real and effective.

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David Dashiell is a freelance writer, editor, and proofreader based in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area. His writing has been featured in Crisis Magazine and The Imaginative Conservative, and his editing is done for a variety of publishers, such as Sophia Institute and Scepter. He can be reached at ddashiellwork@gmail.com.

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Choices

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Today’s First Reading is pretty intense. The story of Cain and Abel is littered with sins large and small, and worse, the Bible is just getting started! But one of the lessons here is that life is choices.

Cain has many opportunities to avoid the sins he committed, but he chose not to. Cain’s sins are more than just killing his brother. He also sins by lying to God with his response of “I don’t know” among other things. Cain’s lie is mirrored in the Responsorial Psalm:

“You sit speaking against your brother; against your mother’s son you spread rumors. When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.”

The other, more obvious failing of Cain is his jealousy of Abel. God recognizes this, and even warns Cain about it before it is too late. He tells him:

“Why are you so resentful and crestfallen. If you do well, you can hold up your head; but if not, sin is a demon lurking at the door: his urge is toward you, yet you can be his master.”

God warns Cain about the devil, and the direction in which he is going. Cain pays no heed, but still gives in to Satan and ends up killing his brother. 

After Cain had murdered his brother, God asked him where he was. Cain not only lies with his “I don’t know,” but he is mocking and sarcastic with his response of  “Am I my brother’s keeper now?” 

But God already knew what happened. He gave Cain a chance to repent and to tell the truth. Cain did not, and God went forward with the punishment that Abel’s murderer deserved. Cain is not very happy with his lot. He replied saucily to God’s words with “My punishment is too great to bear. Since you have now banished me from the soil, and I must avoid your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, anyone may kill me at sight.” Cain concludes that he can get out of God’s punishment if he dies. God replies: “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged sevenfold.”

God’s hand is firm. But Cain had a choice, and he chose. He chose to lie. He chose to mock. He chose to kill his brother. 

Cain had a choice. He was even warned. 

Life is choices.

Perpetua Phelps is a high school student residing in West Michigan and is the second of four children. Apart from homeschooling, Perpetua enjoys volunteering at her church, attending retreats, studying Latin and French, and reading classics such as Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, and Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc. She also spends much time writing novels, essays, and poetry for fun and competition. A passionate Tolkien fan, Perpetua is a founding member of a Tolkien podcast.

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