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What Have You to do with Me?

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There are 3 retellings of today’s Gospel;  Matthew 8:28-34, Luke 8:26-39 and today’s reading, Mark 5:1-20. Nothing in the Bible is repeated without a purpose.

Summarizing the three, Jesus leaves Galilee (land of Jews) and crosses the sea to go to the opposite side, Gerasenes (land of pagans or Gentiles). On the way there, even nature itself seems to be preventing Jesus from making this journey and to the relief of his companions, Jesus wakes up and calms the sea with just a simple command. Now he arrives in this foreign territory and his first encounter is with a naked man possessed by demons. The man prostrates himself at Jesus’s feet and the demons ask, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

Let’s get this straight. Jesus leaves the Jewish land, taking with him Jewish men who followed Jewish law and goes to a Gentile land, which for devout Jews was a defilement all by itself. Once there, they meet a naked man, which would be shameful for any Jew. This naked man is wandering around the tombs and graves, again this would be a defilement for a Jew AND there are pigs in the area which are considered unclean for the Jews. To top all of this off, on the way there, even the very sea rises up to try and prevent them from making this trip.

Jesus knowingly chooses to take the disciples, not just out of their comfort zone but into places they considered inappropriate for any of God’s chosen people to go. When even the sea attempts to rise up and stop them, Jesus calms the turbulence of the wind and the waves by saying, “Quiet, Be still,” and nature obeys. Jesus steps out into an unclean land, greets an unclean man, and listens to him. The evil spirits within the man, instantly recognize Jesus for who he is and address him as, “Son of the Most High God.” The demons ask that Jesus not send them away but only to the swine feeding on the hillside. Jesus agrees and the evil spirits leave the man, enter the pigs and the pigs go running for the sea and drown. The men responsible for the herds of pigs go running back to town, telling what they have seen.

Somewhat surprisingly, the people from the town don’t come running for restitution or to complain that their herds of pigs are gone. Instead, they just ask Jesus to leave. Today’s reading says, “they beg him to leave their district.”

It is interesting too, that in the Liturgical Calendar, this reading comes on the heels of Epiphany and the Celebration of the Conversion of St. Paul. The three wise men were the first of the Gentiles to worship Jesus and recognize him as King. St. Paul, who by his own words was the most zealous of Jews, following his conversation becomes the Apostle to the Gentiles. In Scripture, between those two events, we have Jesus venturing out to the territories of the Gentiles to cast out demons.

We might paraphrase the demons’ question and ask, “What does this have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?”

When we say that we follow Jesus, it is sometimes easier to follow the platitudes and to stay within the confines of our comfort zones and be content with being a good person. Jesus shows us here that following him means following him out into the places where we aren’t comfortable, to be with people who our rules label shameful or unclean. The first reading from the letter to Hebrews lists our forefathers who lived lives outside the comfortable norm “in order to obtain a better resurrection.” We can expect that when we too live outside our societal norm, we too may endure mockery and torture. It may even seem that nature herself may rise up and try to stop us. But we follow the One who calms storms with a word. Even the evil we will meet along the way recognizes our God as the Most High and while they do not follow him, they know the Truth when they see it.

After the demons are cast out and Jesus is asked to leave, the man asks Jesus if he can come with him. Instead of taking him along, Jesus sends him back to his family to “announce all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” As we stretch and through grace begin to live outside ourselves, as we go out to our human family to listen and share what the Lord has done for us, we too will be able to cry with the Psalmist, “ How great is the goodness, O Lord, which you have in store for those who fear you”.

What is waiting for you just outside your comfort zone?

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 preparing for the teens she serves as Director of Youth Evangelization and Outreach in her parish collaborative. You can reach her through her through www.youthministrynacc.com.

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Purified in Unity

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Growing in faith can be pretty painful sometimes. Actually, it’s mostly painful. It’s not until we are transformed that we see why choosing to suffer with and for Christ is, in fact, the best way to live life.

It’s a lot like the purification of metal, as mentioned in the first reading. But, instead of throwing us into a furnace (with the exception of some saints), we are purified and refined by the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts, which are always depicted with fire.

A priest friend gave me a prayer card for my fiancé and me to say in preparation for our vocation to marriage. It is called “The Unity Prayer”. Pretty appropriate for an engaged couple, right? Here’s how it goes:

May our feet journey together
May our hands gather in unity
May our hearts beat in unison
May our souls be in harmony
May our thoughts be as one
May our ears listen to the silence together
May our glances profoundly penetrate each other
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father.
Amen.

Spread the effect of grace of thy flame of love over all of humanity.

We say this prayer each night. And on the days when I give her good reason to be mad at me, it isn’t terribly “cute” to be saying this prayer; it’s actually pretty difficult. It requires the humility to choose the other person in spite of whatever good reason we have to be angry at them or even hurt by them.

That humility purifies and unites us.

The same applies for our relationship to God. It requires humility to acknowledge our sin and go to confession. We are being purified by that sacrament. That’s why it’s difficult and can be uncomfortable to make a good confession. But like silver and gold, we are made more beautiful and authentic by the flame of Love Himself.

Be humbled.
Be purified.
Be united to the Divine.

During the week, Matthew Juliano is a mentor for individuals who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. He has started a Youtube Series that explains and raises awareness about the work he does, which can be found HERE. On the weekends, he is a drummer for Full Armor Band. You can find more content by Matt and his band at www.fullarmorband.com.

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As They Were Able to Understand it- Patience and Trust

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Jesus often turns our human understanding on its head, as a reminder that God’s ways are far from our ways, and that reality resides far below superficial appearances. Grownups must become like children, the wealthy and powerful are actually at a disadvantage, those who are poor and mourning are the true heirs to the Kingdom.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus is drawing a distinction between humble beginnings and cosmic conclusions: seeds scattered grow quietly and in hiddenness, over the steady course of time, until the fruit is ready for harvest. Just as the seed grows slowly toward fruitfulness, so the kingdom Jesus came to establish will not come about immediately by dramatic revolutionary activity or throwing off the yoke of the Romans (see Dan 4:10-12 and Ezek 17:22-24 and 31:1-6 for Old Testament use of mighty trees as imagery for powerful kingdoms).

Patience is needed, and deep confidence in God’s mysterious Plan; God’s will is done even when (perhaps especially when) it is vigorously opposed and rejected by many. This serves to assure the persecuted Markan community that, despite the rejection and opposition they are experiencing, the seed sown in and through Jesus is, in fact, growing and mysteriously maturing toward the fullness of the Kingdom.

Have we assimilated this truth into the fabric of our own lives? Just as the Kingdom matures slowly and the grace that gives it growth remains invisible, the maturing grain also represents each person’s growth in holiness. Do we trust that the mustard seed of faith, hope, and love planted in us at our baptism is truly growing toward fruitfulness? Do we become impatient with God’s timing in our lives, over-eager to see ourselves become perfect, or our situations become ideal, or the people around us become what we think they should be? Have we learned the deep truth that God does His best work when we aren’t looking, and His work in us almost always takes place far deeper than our consciousness can reach?

Jesus taught the disciples “as they were able to understand it.” He teaches us the same way. So let us ask for the grace of understanding, of seeing things as God sees them so that we learn to be patient with His timing in the circumstances of our lives.

Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Deacon Rob and seminarian Luke ;-), and two grandchildren. She is a Secular Discalced Carmelite and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 25 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio, by publishing and speaking, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Catechesis, various parishes, and other ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is https://www.kathryntherese.com/.

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Persecution- A Price Worth Paying

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Three brightly colored threads have woven their way into my spiritual life in this past month.

First thread. Persecution. News reports that Chinese Christians are bracing themselves for persecution. A pastor and 100 members of a Protestant church detained. The words spoken by the pastor jumped out at me: “Persecution is a price worth paying for the Lord.” Another pastor and all 1500 members of his church have been detained, searched and questioned. With their new police records, they will be denied rights to travel, employment, government assistance, etc. In rural areas, the elderly who are dependent on government subsidies have been told to remove Christian symbols from their home or lose the monthly financial assistance they rely on for food and housing.

The letter to the Hebrews which we have been reading over the past couple of weeks was written to a group of Christians who had suffered persecution in the past and who were now threatened with another persecution. Although we experience in the West a growing hatred for Christianity, it is hard for us to imagine what it is like to be forced to choose our faith at the cost of freedoms, providing for our families, and life itself. Yet this is all too real a situation for our Christian brothers and sisters in China…today.

This first thread represents how God is calling me to strengthen my own determination to live with faith.

Second thread. Faith. The letter to the Hebrews is a majestic hymn to Christ who took hold of our humanity in every way, endured every test and temptation so he could help us when we pass through the ordeals of life, made us his brothers and sisters, and became our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Our ancestors grieved God by their unbelief. The author of Hebrews pleads with his readers not to follow in their stead. He urges them to believe that God’s works have been accomplished in Christ. The gracious work of God supersedes the fallen brokenness of what we see in the world around us. “Continue with courage to hold firmly to our bold confidence and our victorious hope.”

Today much of what we in the West once knew of the classical expression of Christian religious practice has broken down or as Bishop Barron has stated recently, “quietly surrendered to the spirit of the age, devolving into one more form of political correctness.” I feel that this thread of faith is God’s call to me to courage, to bold confidence, and to a steadfast belief in our victorious hope.

Third thread. Creative love. In today’s first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, the author encourages the Christians who are suffering persecution and struggling with their faith to do two things:

·      Support each other and find creative ways to encourage one another. “We must consider how to rouse one another to love and good works.” There is much fear among people I know today, as family, parish, and cultural realities are becoming more uncertain. People seem bewildered, weighed down. The letter to the Hebrews urges us to look out for each other, to look on each other with the excitement of love, for love is contagious, love can do great things.

·      Come together in your assembly. A time of persecution and weakened faith is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together. The Greek here implies a person who is extremely discouraged. When we are discouraged, and we have so many reasons to feel disillusioned and heartbroken in our Church today, it is in our meeting together around the table of the Lord that we are held, taught, fed, compassioned and led by him. The art and the gift of invitation is so important if we can extend a helping hand to those whose faith is weak.

Persecution. Faith. Creative Love. I’m not sure if I’d have the courage of the Pastor who said that persecution is a price worth paying. Right now, however, I want to redouble my commitment to encouraging my brothers and sisters in the faith, offering a helping hand, raising the light, affirming the Promise, “and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.”

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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Sow What?

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I recently reached the final page of a long, good book. I turned the back cover over and placed it on the coffee table with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. As I returned it to its place on the bookshelf the following morning, I tried to think of what I
remembered about the book. I realized I didn’t remember anything. I read every word, yet I failed to retain any of the meaning.

There are two ends to which the pursuit of knowledge may lead: the love of knowledge itself, or the application of knowledge as a weapon of love. Neither are bad. One is insufficient.

In his brilliant book Theology for Beginners, the renowned apologist Frank Sheed begs the reader to reread the Gospels, Acts, Paul’s Epistles and eventually the entire Old Testament as well as the rest of the New Testament. Specifically, he says that “…there is
no exhausting their richness” when it comes to chapters fourteen through seventeen of John’s Gospel (Sheed 33). But he cautions the reader to read them as though this was the first time. Most of us know the parable of the Sower like the back of our hands. We
hear it read aloud in mass. We see it in a playful rendering during the musical Godspell. We see drawings of it used as illustrations for children in Religious Education. The tendency is to immediately recognize the parable, and in doing so turn our focus away
because we assume we understand all it has to offer. But Jesus delivered his parables to illustrate truths that increase in their relevance as we move from stage to stage in our lives, just as Shakespeare wrote his plays to be overflowing with relevant truths no matter the time period. However, Shakespeare was a playwright. Jesus is God.

Jesus is the sower.
The seeds are Jesus’ words.
We are the path.
We are the rocky ground.
We are the thorns.
We can be rich soil.

It’s easy to believe we’re rich soil when in reality the majority of us are probably the rocky ground or thorns. We get excited about the Good News of Jesus Christ, but we lack roots. Or we accept the words of Jesus Christ, but we are too concerned with
“worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things” (Mark 4:19). Look at this parable from the lens of your current stage in life and inhale these words as though for the first time.

Then when it’s your time to bear fruit, don’t keep it all for yourself or it will become rotten. Share it with not only your friends but your enemies as well.

Benjamin serves as the Music Minister at Our Lady Queen of Peace in Branchville, NJ. He teaches Children’s Theatre at the Paper Mill Playhouse and is a Catholic songwriter that has given talks on Confirmation, How to Keep the Faith in College, and The Courage to Choose Life. His album The Start Toward Rivo Torto can be found on SoundCloud and his other talks and music can be found on YouTube.  He can be reached at benjamintyates@gmail.com.

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Family Tree

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“Families are like branches on a tree. We grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.” -Anonymous

Today’s Gospel, once again, gives us the picture of Jesus preaching to a crowd when he is told: “Your mother and our brothers and your sisters are outside asking for you.” Jesus, I am sure, after a short pause, points to the crowd and says “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

We’ve seen movies, documentaries, and such, that will start with a picture of earth from space (imagine yourself on the space station). Then the camera comes closer and closer to earth, eventually focusing, perhaps on the United States…then your state…then your city…then your neighborhood. Now picture the focus on your home and family. There you are!

The question that has to come to mind when visualizing this beautiful panorama, and at the same time meditating on the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel is, “just who is my family?” If we cannot come to the conclusion that all that the universe holds (perhaps the unknown “other beings” out there?), all that the world holds, all that your country, state, city, and neighborhood hold – is without a doubt – your Family, then we must pray harder for that realization.

Re-read the quote at the start of this reflection and think about the root of this tree. What is that root? It is God. God is the root of all of humanity. Whether we believe, literally, in the story of Adam and Eve, or whether we conceive something else as the creation of Man, God is still the beginning. And he will be the end. In between, we, as individuals, branch out our lives in many directions. But, still, He is the strength of the roots of that mighty tree holding us all together as one family. Man or woman, we are all of the “Family of Man” –all of one humanity.

For us Christians, we must ground ourselves in Jesus and all that he taught us. For us Christians, today, it means that we must embrace everyone we meet as family.

We must love them, help them, support and give comfort. It’s a tall order when seen through that lens of the universe. We have to believe that it starts with the love of our immediate family which will eventually affect the lives of others. Mother Teresa once wrote: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” That’s a good starting point, but it cannot end there.

Unbelievers who what to dissuade us of the importance of Jesus and God in our lives, are, ultimately, fighting a futile battle. Because we know that Jesus will prevail in the end and that God will have the final word.  Following the Way of Jesus, and the Law of God, when lived faithfully, can have only one outcome – peace, justice and love for everyone. This truth has been ”rooted” in us since our conception. We must help everyone realize this, in the lives we lead.

For – “…whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

God Bless.

Jeanne Penoyar, an Accounts Manager here at Diocesan, is currently a Lector at St. Anthony of Padua parish in Grand Rapids, MI. While at St. Thomas the Apostle, Grand Rapids, Jeanne was a Lector, Cantor, Coordinator of Special Liturgies, Coordinator of lectors and, at one time, chair of the Liturgy Commission. In a past life, secretary/bookkeeper at the Basilica of St. Adalbert where she ran the RCIA program for the Steepletown parishes. And she loves to write! When relaxing, she likes reading and word puzzles. You can contact her at jpenoyar@diocesan.com.

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A Kingdom United

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Both the reading from Hebrews and today’s Gospel deal with God’s judgment and the salvation of souls. In the first reading, we hear of Christ’s new covenant with mankind, that we no longer need to make yearly sacrifices to ensure our salvation. God, in His love for us, became man and offered His own blood for the eternal salvation of souls. In Christ’s new covenant we are able to share in His death and resurrection.

“Christ offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.”

Christ’s death allowed for hope to reign and, as in the Gospel acclamation “Our Savior, Jesus Christ destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel”.

The resurrection is the Good News and it is through God’s love for His creation that we are able to share in that Good News!

Since January 28th is the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas, I thought looking at his writings would help with today’s reflection.

Regarding blasphemy St. Thomas says in the Summa Theologiae: “Hence it seems that blasphemy pertains to unbelief” (II-II.13.1). He goes on to say that blasphemy is ultimately the denial of God’s goodness.

The scribes who see Christ casting out demons accuse Christ of being possessed by Satan thereby denying His goodness: “By the prince of demons he drives out demons”. Jesus’ rebuttal is pretty simple. He tells the Pharisees that it would not makes sense for Satan to drive out his own demons, all that would do is weaken Satan’s power for “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.”

That is applicable to not only Satan but to those who wish to enter the Kingdom of Heaven as well. What happens when we, the Body of Christ, are divided? What happens when we lack charity when we fail to love our brothers and sisters in Christ? We, both as individuals and as a society, begin to lose our faith in the Truth, we lose sight of what it is we are ultimately seeking: union with God, Heaven! We fall into the sin of unbelief; exactly what Christ is warning against in the Gospel.

The prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas is fitting for today.

Grant me, O Lord my God,
A mind to know you,
A heart to seek you,
Wisdom to find you,
Conduct pleasing to you,
Faithful perseverance in waiting for you,
And a hope of finally embracing you.

Amen.

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 engaged 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 Mass as Fulfillment of the Scriptures

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There are many different angles one could go with the rich symbolism in all three of today’s beautiful readings. The first reading is a clear call to the importance of physical actions to be taken in religious ceremonies. We are all a spirit-body composite and as such, we need to engage our bodies in all we do. The second reading speaks of the importance of all members (individuals) of the body (church) participating in the work of the larger body (the Lord) with their own specific gifts. Then finally, we come to the Gospel, what a beautiful summarization of the previous two readings culminating in a clear analogy for the mass.

Jesus stood up in the synagogue and was handed a scroll from the prophet Isaiah. This was typical to read from the prophets in the synagogue. However, the reader typically read the passage and did not offer any sort of reflection or addition. The prophets could speak for themselves. Jesus breaks this tradition. He not only adds his own thoughts to the scripture, but he claims that it is being fulfilled right before them by himself. He is the one who brings glad tidings to the poor and sight to the blind.

We see here that the word of God does not fall on lost ears or hearts but that it is so real and active that it literally is Jesus himself. Here we have the Word, speaking the Word, as the Word. The scriptures are fulfilled by the presence of he who is the Word.

Fast forward to today. Our tired eyes try to stay open during the readings, we hear a vibration from our phone and our mind wanders, we hear a screaming child and forget that all members of the body are important and wonderfully made.

I have a directors brain, I always thought I would be good at directing plays or movies because I feel that I have an eye for the bigger picture and can be very critical. I hate to admit that this is me during the Mass on some Sunday’s. “I would have said that differently” or “why did the music sound so strange in that one song. Did they forget to practice?”

We all have little quirks, insecurities, or faults that try to distract us from the reality of what is really going on. In the exact same way as the Gospel reading, every Mass brings us the fulfillment of scripture. The readings are read but it doesn’t stop there, we then dive into the beauty of the liturgy of the Eucharist where the word literally becomes flesh. Nothing more needs to be said or done. Think about that for a second and let that reality sink in next time you participate in Mass. If that doesn’t bring us to our knees than something is missing. From all of us here at Diocesan, God Bless!

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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You Are in Good Company

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Has anyone ever told you that you’re crazy or out of your mind? You are in good company. Today’s gospel is two very short lines. In the second line, Jesus’ family said of him, “He is out of his mind.” Mk 3:21

During the three short years of ministry, Jesus was viewed as radical and unconventional. He performed miracles, healed on the Sabbath, forgave sins and taught about the Father’s unconditional love for all.

Jesus gave us the beatitudes which were quite controversial in his time (and still are today). I once read that we are to consider the beatitudes as the moral rules fleshed out for adults, while the 10 commandments are for our early foundation (formation as kids).  The beatitudes are controversial in the way they challenge us to think about and view or experience our universal human conditions. I came across a beautifully concise summary by Deacon Douglas McManaman that breaks the beatitudes down in ways I’ve not pondered before and challenges me in new ways.  

The Gospel acclamation charges us to ask God to “open our hearts, to listen to the words of (your) son.”Act 16:14 Our hearts (ears and minds) have to be open to hearing the words that the Father gave Jesus, so we too, can be good and faithful servants. How on earth are we going to do that? We have to be intentional with our actions and thoughts. We do have a silent assistant; we were given the Holy Spirit to help guide us on the Way.

“For this reason, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord,” 2Tm1: 6-7  

Each and every one of us has been created with unique gifts to be shared with others for the glory of God our Father. You are not out of your mind if you stand up to a bully. You are not crazy if you give food to someone who has none. Helping to build water purifiers so people can have clean water to drink is being mindful. You are not crazy when you speak up about the sanctity of life. When you ask folks to come together to solve problems in spite of differing opinions of how things ‘should be done’, you are part of a solution.

Please pray with me. Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity. Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus’ way of love. Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another. May we respect life as we work to solve the problems of family and nation, economy and ecology. Spirit of God, spark our faith, hope, and love into new action each day. Fill our lives with wonder and awe in your presence which penetrates all creation. Amen.

Beth is part of the customer service team at Diocesan. She brings a unique depth of experience to the team from her time spent in 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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What Most People Miss About Life’s Journey

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I need to admit to you that I was thinking about this Gospel commentary on January 6, the Feast of the Epiphany. The month of January opens with the wise men making their way to the manger to offer the new-born King gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Epiphany, sadly for most of us, is the signal that the crèche and Christmas decorations can now be put away for the year.

 The Wise Men from the east, however, in the words of Benedict XVI, “mark a new beginning.” In them, we find “the journeying of humanity toward Christ.” They initiate a human procession that continues throughout history. What I want to draw attention to in these words is Pope Benedict’s sense of an ongoing journeying that is a part of humanity’s reality on our pilgrimage to the Kingdom.

Today, near the end of the month of January, we celebrate the “conversion” of St Paul. Jesus clearly comes to meet Paul on the road to Damascus. He calls him to a mission to proclaim his name to the Gentiles, to be a part of this ongoing procession of humanity seeking Christ and to play a part in proclaiming Christ to humanity across the ages. We can easily make the mistake of viewing the Feast of the Epiphany as a commemoration of something three wise men did two millennia ago, playing their part in the Christmas narrative, an act in the drama that Christmas plays love to include. But we can’t get away with that on this celebration of the Conversion of St. Paul.

The Feast of the Conversion of the apostle Paul, he shows us that we need to be actively a part in this journeying of humanity today. In what way?

  1. Like Paul, we are each pursued by Christ because he has ordained for each of us a mission in the narrative of salvation. We are called for ourselves, but also for the others.
  2. The three Wise Men from the east went back home and probably thought about the tiny Child they had worshipped for the rest of their lives. Paul’s encounter with Christ, however, shows us that our own encounter with Christ is part of a longer story of personal transformation that takes place through the gift of the sacraments, the Christian community, transformation of life, and mission to others in the name of Christ. It has a beginning and a goal, and every day is a step toward, in the words of Paul, “becoming Christ.”
  3. We can never, ever be grateful enough for the unmerited gift of our Baptism. Paul remained in darkness and blindness until he was baptized by Ananias. The moment of his baptism Paul received his sight, but Paul also was admitted into the community of those he had sought to destroy. Our call, our mission, is never carried out alone as if we were some kind of “lone ranger.” We are always members of a community, in communion with others, and, as Paul would write, members of the Body of Christ.

 

So, on this feast of the Conversion of St. Paul take a moment to reflect on how Jesus sees you with a specific mission in this humanity on a pilgrimage to the Father across the centuries. And, as Paul teaches us, may each day of this year may you be more and more filled with Jesus, until you are like him in every way.

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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God Wants Us to Suffer, A Pious Heresy

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When I teach junior high classes about creation I usually draw a large circle on the whiteboard. I tell my class that this represents everything God created and I ask them to shout out the things that would go inside the circle. “People!” is one of the first things the student’s shout and the circle quickly gets filled in with things like plants, animals, time, matter, and angels. At this point, I like to have fun with them and write “Hell” and “Satan” in the circle and a lively discussion usually ensues.

There are a couple things, however, that aren’t in this circle, namely, death and suffering.

Much like how darkness is not a thing in itself, merely the absence of light, death, and suffering can only be understood in a negative sense, that is, as a lack of something else. The book of Genesis says, “the LORD God formed the man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Gen 2:7). God gave Adam and Eve life, but through their sin they rejected life. God created the garden with order and integrity, but through their sin, our first parents rejected this wholeness. It is here that death and suffering first entered creation.

Thus suffering ought not be. God did not create suffering, it only exists because we live in a cosmos fractured by sin. Our bodies and minds are supposed to be whole and integrated, but because of our limited and broken world, and because of our sin, we experience illness, suffering, and death.

Simply put: God does not want us to suffer. Period.

But how often do we get this wrong, do we lie about God? In the midst of other people’s suffering, we say “This is all a part of God’s plan.” And in our own suffering, we say, “God wants me to suffer so I can offer it up for a greater good.” Sometimes we say these things because we don’t know what else to say when our friend’s loved one just died. Sometimes we say them because the question of why God will allow us to suffer is too difficult for us to understand. But while these statements are well intended, they are also wrong.

Now, there is the mysterious and wonderful Tradition within Christianity that we can offer up our suffering. We believe in a God who not only stoops to our level and suffers with us (which is an incredible thing in itself), but who also allows us to give our suffering meaning by uniting it with his suffering for the sake of others.

However, to say that God, in his eternal goodness, can transform the evil of suffering into something good doesn’t mean that God wills the suffering in the first place. The pious heresy that our suffering is a part of God’s plan distorts our understanding of God and turns Our Loving Father into a monster.

Suffering, illness, and death are not a part of God’s plan. God is able and deeply desires, to heal us from these things. And, as we see in Gospel today, the life and ministry of Jesus is a demonstration of this desire. Through sin, we gave dominion of this world over to suffering and death, but Christ comes as a conquering king to reclaim lost territory. Jesus gives his power and authority over these consequences of sin to not only his apostles, but to all who follow him, to all who share his divine life through baptism. Through baptism, the Catechism says,  we become “other Christs.'” The Acts of the Apostles and the historical records on the early Church demonstrate that miraculous healings and signs and wonders are a normative part of what it means to be baptized, Christian.

In the midst of our sickness and suffering, do we run in faith to Jesus for healing like the crowds in today’s Gospel? Or do we tell ourselves that God wills our pain? When we’re in the presence of other people’s sickness, do we model Jesus and boldly pray for their healing? Or do we tell them their illness is a part of God’s plan?

Let us pray for the same faith the crowds had, the faith that drove them to run to Jesus with their sickness and pain, fully expecting him to heal them.

Paul Fahey is a husband, father, and a parish director of religious education. If you like what he has to say, read his work at Where Peter Is, check out his blog, The Porch, or follow him on Facebook.

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In the Line of Melchizedek

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Melchizedek. I admit that I signed up for this day so I could learn more about Melchizedek. It’s a technique I’ve been using since college. It forces me to learn new things and go out of my way to (hopefully) see things in a different light or achieve a shift in my focus and thought process. Friends and family insist I need to do this more frequently, as they find me a bit eccentric, but I correct them with eclectic, and we all laugh.

The first reading and the psalm speak of the order or in the line of Melchizedek. Melchizedek first appears in the bible in the book of Genesis (ch 14). It is the first time that someone is referred to as a priest of God Most High and the King of Peace (Salem or Shalom).

While researching, I found a really fascinating talk given by Dr. Scott Hahn that breaks this open. Melchizedek means righteous king in Hebrew. The King of Righteousness, the King of Shalom (peace). Does this ring any bells for you? It’s hard to miss these titles of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Now, let’s hold onto this thought and dive into today’s Gospel.

Today, we find Jesus and the man with the crippled hand. People are all around Jesus, wondering if he will cure on the Sabbath if he will ‘work’ on this holy day. If he does, Jesus is seen as a lawbreaker, which triggers the Pharisees search for a permanent way to silence his ‘heresy’.

Jesus is the first priest of the Catholic Church. Our priests today are all priests in the line of Melchizedek. Jesus is Divine and all knowing. He asked while on the cross for his Father to forgive, for we do not know what we do. Our priests are human and learn through trial and error as each of us does. We humans can learn from divine inspiration, the wisdom of others, through study, and experience. We each have the opportunity to invite others to learn of God’s love and forgiveness as well as experience it ourselves.

God’s love and forgiveness are available to each and every one of us. His love is unconditional. His forgiveness, grace, and mercy are too, however, we have to ask for it. Our priests through the grace and wisdom of the sacrament of Holy Orders they received when ordained are anointed to minister to all those on earth, not just a select few. The line of Melchizedek is continued on today in each of these men. Let us pray today for our priests with these words from Pope Benedict XVI:

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal High Priest, you offered yourself to the Father on the altar of the cross and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave your priestly people a share in your redeeming sacrifice. Hear our prayer for the sanctification of our priests. Grant that all who are ordained to the ministerial priesthood may be ever more conformed to you, the Divine Master. May they preach the Gospel with pure heart and clear conscience. Let them be shepherds according to your own heart, single-minded in service to you and to the Church, and shining examples of a holy, simple, and joyful life. Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, your Mother and ours, draw all priests and the flocks entrusted to their care to the fullness of eternal life where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Beth is part of the customer service team at Diocesan. She brings a unique depth of experience to the team from her time spent in 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.