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Pray Without Ceasing

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At first, it seemed pretty easy to follow what today’s Gospel is asking us to do: pray without ceasing. Be like the persistent widow who continuously bothers the judge until he finally delivers a decision for her. A simple request, right? But the more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized, wow, I don’t do that. When I want something, I ask God for it, and if I don’t have it in about a week, I ask, “Why is God putting me through this challenge? Why is He asking me to carry this cross?” Yup! Very dramatic, but also not very far from the truth. But Luke tells us that, unlike the judge, God will deliver justice for us speedily. So why does it always seem like we’re waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting for God to answer our prayers? Why does it look like our persistence never pays off? Well, perhaps our idea of speedily and God’s idea of speedily are very different from one another.

The responsorial psalm for today is, “Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth.” For me, it served as a reminder that God is all-powerful and all-present. He knows exactly what each person needs, as well as what each person wants. He is not a vengeful God; rather, He is a loving, merciful, and just God who wants nothing more than for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. That fact tends to be easy for us to believe, at least in theory. But when it comes to putting that theory into practice, it tends to be a little more difficult. It is easy for us to lose faith when it seems as though God is not answering us, especially when we think we deserve a “quick” answer. We need to change our attitudes from “I am going to pray unceasingly so God will give me what I want/deserve” to “I am going to pray unceasingly so I can meet God face to face in all His glory.” Because, ultimately, that’s what this life is for. There’s that old song that says, “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers,” but maybe those prayers aren’t unanswered; they’re just answered in a way different than what we wanted or expected. By placing our own expectations on God and imposing our own wills on Him, we thereby don’t allow our wills to conform to His.

We are also reminded of the importance and necessity of persistence in the second reading from 2 Timothy. Not only do we need to be persistent in our pursuit of heaven and in our relationship with God, but we must also be persistent in our duty to bring souls with us to heaven. “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be present whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, and encourage through all patience and teaching.”

Even when it’s not convenient for us, even when we’re in a secular work environment, even when we don’t want to say grace in public because we’re afraid of what others might think, even when our culture tells us that we’re wrong for believing in a universal truth, even when it feels like we’re getting nowhere….may we never lose hope in His providence, His grace, and His faithfulness.

St. Paul of the Cross, 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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Our Teacher

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After reading the Gospel for today, I told my husband, “Now I know why they called Jesus ‘Teacher’. This reading feels like a day in my life!”

Now hear me out–I’m not saying that by being a teacher I’m somehow privy to Christ’s inner life. Nor am I saying that Jesus was “just a teacher”. But I do understand Jesus’ words to the crowds. Just the other day I gave my students (high schoolers) a homework assignment and all those who completed the assignment thoroughly, which was everyone, received a 10/10. When I told them it was a participation grade they grumbled and said, “But Mrs. Pesce, we worked so hard on it and found the right answers and the right answers didn’t even matter!” So, because of their valid complaints, the next assignment I graded based on how many questions the students answered correctly. Needless to say, there were not as many 100% marks. When they received their grades, my students grumbled and said, “But Mrs. Pesce, the homework was sooooo hard. Can’t you just give us participation points because we did the assignment?”

We, like children, do the same with Christ. It seems as though we are never satisfied. How many of us have asked for “signs” from Christ that we are doing the right things with our life? That our career is the “right one”? The right one for us to be making a difference in the world, the right one for our families, the right one to make us a happy person, the right one to help get us to Heaven. Then, when we receive that “sign” that yes, we are doing the right things with our life, we are not satisfied. Why? Because Christ told us, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (MT 16:24) and doing that is not easy. Carrying a cross, suffering patiently, denying ourselves is not the “sign” we want from Christ.

After Christ tells the crowds of their hypocrisy He says, “But wisdom is vindicated by all her children”. Didn’t He just reprimand us for acting like children? I think we need to read that passage with an emphasis on the word “all”….But wisdom is vindicated by all her children. When we act alone, when we feel alone, when we put our trust in ourselves and no one else, we stray from God and we are left unsatisfied. But it is the Church, the beautiful, mystical Body of Christ that will get us to Heaven. It is all the children of wisdom, through prayer and sacrifice, that will journey with us to the Heavenly Kingdom.

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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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Children and the Kingdom of God

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Today’s Gospel is truly one of my favorites! Perhaps it’s because I’ve worked in schools for 3 years. But my favorite thing about being around kids, no matter what age they are, is being able to watch them learn. It’s almost like you can actually see their minds growing. So often we hear that children are like sponges…they soak up whatever is around them. More often than not, that’s said within the context of “Be careful what you say around kids, you never know what they will repeat.” But I think we need to change our perspective.

How beautiful that children are like sponges. They soak up whatever is around them. That means that when they are surrounded by goodness, they soak up and become goodness. When they are around the Word of God, they soak up and repeat the Word of God. When they are around people who are leading others towards Heaven, they in turn learn how to lead others to Heaven.

Children look at the world with wonder and awe. They ask questions. They desire to know who created them, how they were created, and why they are here. Children have no fear to ask these questions whereas, as adults, I think we are afraid and ashamed to ask these questions because we feel like we should have all the answers. This is why Christ told His disciples, “Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.” He desires for us to trust him. Christ wants us to humble ourselves before Him and learn from Him. He wants us to sit at His feet and hear His words in the same manner in which a child sits at the feet of his loving parents.

St. Zelie Martin–mother of St. Therese of Lisieux–wrote, “When we had our children, our ideas changed somewhat. We lived only for them. They were all our happiness, and we never found any except in them. In short, nothing was too difficult, and the world was no longer a burden to us.” The presence of children reminds us of what it was like to be a child. To be inquisitive, to not hold bitterness against the world, to know who we are because we know those who made us.

May we be reminded of the innocence of childhood and may we always be able to look towards Heaven as a journey home to the One who made us.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, 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 Parable of the Sower

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In today’s Gospel we hear a parable that I’m sure we’re all familiar with: the Parable of the Sower.

If you continue to read Matthew 13, you will find Christ’s explanation that the three different types of soil are representative of three different types of people.

The seed that falls on rocky soil but is scorched by the sun because it has no roots is the person who hears the Gospel and is blessed with great joy but soon falls away because of persecution.

The seed that falls among the thorns is the person who hears the Gospel but is preoccupied by worldly things and does not live or share the Word.

The seed that falls on good soil is the person who hears the Gospel, understands, lives it, and shares it with others.

We will all encounter each type of soil, each type of person in our lives. Perhaps we will even act as the sowers and talk to each type of person about the faith. But we will also encounter each type of person within ourselves.

How many times have we gone on a retreat or something similar and been so on fire with the Holy Spirit and for our faith while we’re there, but then as soon as we return to our ordinary, daily lives and to our routines and the fire dies out a little bit? That’s the seed falling on rocky soil.

How many times have we been afraid to share our faith at work or in our communities? Or how many times have we not paid attention in Mass because something else in on our minds? That’s the seed falling among the thorns.

But how much joy do we find in sharing the Gospel with others? How often do we find great joy and peace in participating in the Sacraments? What does it feel like when we recognize Christ in others? That’s the seed falling on good soil.

We are all capable of being rocky, thorny, or good soil. If we recognize what our thorns are and when we have a tendency to shy away from the faith because of persecution, then we are able to overcome those obstacles and replace the thorns and rocks with good soil.

St. Sharbel, pray for us!

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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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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Faith and Charity

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Today is the feast of St. Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor of the Church. While we know him as St. Anthony of Padua, he is from Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon, understandably, takes great pride in being the birthplace of St. Anthony and today is their national holiday. For the days leading up to his feast day, there are festivals in the streets, parades that lead to and from different churches around the city, and posters explaining when and where prayer vigils will be held throughout the week. It truly is beautiful to witness the faith so obviously present.

The first reading reminds us that we are to bring the light of Christ to the world in the same way that He Himself has set our hearts on fire for Him: “For God who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to bring to light the knowledge of the glory of God on the face of Jesus Christ.” We as Christians know the Good News, we know that Christ is our Redeemer and it is our job to preach that to the world. It is through our words and through our deeds that those whose eyes are still veiled to the Gospel, to the Word of God will come to know and believe.

On sharing the faith St. Anthony said, “Without faith no one can enter the kingdom of God, it is the life of the soul. The Christian is one who, with the eye of the heart, enlightened by faith, understands the mysteries of God and makes a public profession.”

This public profession of faith of which St. Anthony speaks can be the way we live our lives. He goes on to talk about the importance of charity in faith. It is a great act of charity to bring others to faith. In the Gospel, Christ teaches his disciples how to enact greater charity in their everyday lives. To be charitable and kind in their words and thoughts, to be charitable and forgiving to those who have done wrong against them, to be charitable and honest in dealings with others.

May we go about our day with charitable words, thoughts, and actions so that we might enter the Kingdom of Heaven and bring others with us.

St. Anthony of Padua, 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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Seek What Is Above

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Today is my wedding day so the readings I hear at Mass will be different than the ones heard at a normal Saturday Mass. I chose this day on purpose because, in looking at the readings I thought to myself, “How incredibly appropriate for this big day.” Please bear with me and hear me out while I explain my thoughts…

The overarching theme of today’s readings is the universal scope of Christianity. In the first reading, we hear of how Christianity spread to Greece. The humble origins of the Church are always so striking to me. Christ chose normal people, unassuming people as messengers of the Good News. He knew that His message of love and redemption would be spread by people who were on fire because of what they witnessed. The responsorial psalm reminds us that God’s love is universal, it belongs to everybody: “Let all the earth cry out with joy!” His love doesn’t belong to just one people, one time, etc.

I recently read an article with the provocative title of something like “Stop Trying to Make Christianity Relevant”. I read it with the intention of figuring out what the “other side” had to say about the relevance of Christianity. What I read, however, was surprising. It was from a Christian perspective, not from the perspective of someone who was tired of hearing the “Christian narrative”. The author was calling other Christians to lead a more radical life. He reminded us that the Christian life is not easy, it is not made for this world. Rather, it is difficult; there are many trials and obstacles. We must fight many battles and sometimes it seems as though we lose all of those battles. What we must realize in our fight is that our battle is not to win favor in this world, it is to merit the next. Our fight is towards Heaven and against evil. To be a Christian is to be a witness of Christ and to be a witness of Christ is to embrace the Cross of Christ.

Now to bring it back full circle….how in the world is this relevant for a wedding? Well, I work in a very secular environment and I often get questions about why my fiancé and I didn’t live together before getting married. The questions often came in the condescending form of, “Is it for religious reasons?” I found myself wanting to avoid the answer of, “Yes! It is for religious reasons.” Finally, I asked myself why I was so ashamed of that answer and realized that it had nothing to do with being ashamed of my faith but everything to do with how the question was asked. Why would an affirmative answer of “Yes, I do this because of my belief system” be looked down upon? Because, to the world, our faith seems oppressive and restrictive. But the truth is that our faith is incredibly freeing and hopeful! Our faith is based on Truth and Goodness and Beauty. Unfortunately, our world doesn’t recognize that. So, perhaps in our culture, the Cross we bear is weighed down by condescending questions, intolerance, and misguided perceptions of what the Catholic faith truly is.

We, like the Apostles, come from humble origins. We are unassuming people. We work in schools, offices, hospitals, and churches. We encounter people of every race, creed, culture, and tongue. It is our mission to be witnesses of Christ, spread the Good News, and carry our crosses with joy.

May we recognize that even when the world hates us, Christ loves 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 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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Witnesses to Glory

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In today’s readings, we hear what God is calling us to, as Christians. We are called to be witnesses to the Truth, no matter what the cost.

I love the season of Easter because we get to read so much of Acts of the Apostles and really get to know what the Apostles experienced after the death and resurrection of Christ. They were thought to be crazy but, rather than resigning themselves to the thought that evangelization was an impossible task, they continued to spread the Good News. In today’s reading from Acts, Peter tells the Sanhedrin, “We must obey God rather than men” and that Jesus was truly God. Peter, as a witness to the events of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection knows the Truth. He recognizes the importance of adhering to God’s law above that of man. In reminding the Sanhedrin of this, so too does he remind us.

Peter’s words are just as relevant today as they were then. We must be witnesses to the Truth even when that means standing against the laws of our time. In today’s world perhaps that means fighting pro-choice laws or fighting and praying for an end to religious injustice in all parts of the world.

The Gospel Acclamation tells of Christ’s reply to doubting Thomas “You believe in me, Thomas, because you have seen me…blessed are those who have not seen, but still believe!”

We, unlike the Apostles, are not direct witnesses to Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. We are, however, witnesses to the effects and the power of the glory of His Resurrection. We experience and participate in Christ’s Resurrection in the sacraments, most especially in the Eucharist. It is our belief in Him and in His Resurrection that will grant us eternal life.

In this Easter season may we contemplate the power and glory of Christ and may we be witnesses to His Goodness.

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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 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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Perfect Love

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“Christ became obedient to the point of death, Even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him And bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.”

As a little girl, I remember wondering why in the world we called this day of Jesus’ death “Good Friday”. How can the death of God be a good thing? As I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to understand that the word “good” is not referring to the events of that day over 2000 years ago but to the effects that day had that are still important even now, over 2000 years later.

The “good” is a result of God’s love for us, for God is Love itself.

If God is love and Jesus Christ is God incarnate, then that means that Love itself died on the Cross for us. Love cried in the garden, Love was betrayed, Love was scourged, the weight of the Cross was put on the shoulders of Love. Love walked to Calvary, Love was crucified. Love bled. Love died.

John’s account of Christ’s passion, the one we hear today, tells of the soldier who pierced Christ’s side, and that “immediately blood and water flowed out.” One of my theology teachers in high school shared something about this passage that has really stuck with me over the years. He told us that, medically, it is possible to die of a broken heart. He said, that what happens is the heart experiences a traumatic event and the plasma, which has the appearance of water, separates from the blood. He went on to say that the weight of our sins and the pain of the Cross would have caused this type of traumatic event and Christ may have died of a broken heart. Now, I’m not sure whether or not that’s accurate, but either way, it’s a hauntingly beautiful image that helped me understand the depth and fervency of God’s love for us.

In Jesus’ pierced heart, He quite literally poured out all His love and, in doing so, He established the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. By washing ourselves in Baptism, and by consuming His body in the Eucharist, we enter into the life of Christ. That is the way He brings us into His very being and transforms everything into His glory. We are able to partake in His Goodness because of His Passion and through His Resurrection.

This Triduum, may we look upon the Cross and upon the wounds of Christ and know perfect love.

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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 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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Witness to the Gospel

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As we approach Holy Week and the Passion of our Lord, the Gospels tell us more and more about the tensions that existed surrounding Jesus. In today’s Gospel, we hear that the Jews want to stone Jesus for blasphemy but he responds with “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?” and later says, “If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works”. Christ is telling the Jews that actions speak louder than words and that, if they have such a hard time believing His words, they ought to look to his actions for proof.

I think this Gospel is incredibly relevant in the world and culture in which we live. Jesus is telling us that yes, our faith is important but it is our works that will lead others to believe. Our works are the way we witness to the Gospel. In the same way that Christ’s actions proved that He is God so to do our actions prove that we are part of the Church, that we are filled with hope for the coming of our Lord.

We wait in patient anticipation for the Resurrection of Christ because we know that He is our God and Redeemer. He has shown us that in His words and in His actions.

In one of his homilies, Pope Francis said, “We are not just a religion of ideas, of pure theology, of beautiful things, and commandments. No, we are a people who follow Jesus Christ and bear witness–who want to bear witness to Jesus Christ–and sometimes this witness leads to laying down our lives”. We must be willing to bear witness to the Gospel, even if it’s difficult, even if we must sacrifice our worldly comforts.

As this Lenten season comes to end may our hearts be filled with gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ and may we grow in strength so that we can bear witness to the great joy of the Resurrection.

St. Julius, 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 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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My Chains Are Gone

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In the 2011 World Youth Day in Madrid Spain, Pope Benedict XVI said, “God never tires of forgiving. We all need forgiveness…It brings a hope-filled future” and, at another time, he said, “Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially for reconciliation and forgiveness”

Pope Benedict’s message of forgiveness comes directly from scripture. In today’s Gospel, Christ tells us that we should forgive others in the same way that our Heavenly Father forgives us. In fact, our eternal salvation is directly dependent on it. You would think that, because of the weight it carries, we would be quick to forgive. But I think, for the most part, we aren’t. As much as I try to forgive, more than 10 years later I still hold a grudge against the girl who was mean to me in middle school. But that’s not how God’s forgiveness works. He holds no grudges, He holds nothing against us. Instead, He forever invites us back into His heart with the sacrament of confession so that we might reunite ourselves to His Will. In His Goodness, He has compassion for us. In the same way that the master had mercy on his servant and forgave his debt, so too does God have mercy on us and forgive the debt we owe him because of our sins.

In the first reading we hear the words, “But with a contrite heart and humble spirit let us be received…So let our sacrifice be in your presence today as we follow you unreservedly.” Our contrition and our repentance should be absolute and wholehearted. God loved us so much that He gave His only Son to “pay a debt he didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay”. May we not lose hope in Christ, our Redeemer, because by His sacrifice are we able to have the hope-filled future of which Pope Benedict reminds us.

As we are now in the middle of the Lenten season, let us use the rest of this time to ask for forgiveness for our sins and open our hearts to continuous conversion.

St. Elizabeth Clitherow, pray for us!

St. Theodore, 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 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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Ask, Seek, Knock

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When reading today’s Gospel, the first thing I thought of was my mom. Throughout my life, every time I go to her and say, “Why didn’t this happen even though I prayed for it? I thought it was the right thing” her response would be one of two things: “God’s delay is not God’s denial” or “Thank God for unanswered prayers”. As a kid, it was sometimes hard to hear. Heck, as an adult it’s still a hard thing to hear. But I know she’s right.

The Gospel comes from Christ’s Sermon on the Mount and he tells us to do three things: Ask, Seek, and Knock. He is telling us to be persistent in our faith, to not stop at asking God for His help but rather, to continue searching for Him and for His presence in our lives until we know truly know Him. By seeking Him in this life, the doors to Heaven will be opened for us. In the responsorial psalm we say, “Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me” and in the first reading, we hear Esther’s lamentations and petitions to God. She is vulnerable before God and asks his forgiveness, knowing that He will listen to her pleas. Her faith in God and His mercy allows her to sincerely ask for and seek Him.

At the end of the Gospel Christ says, “Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.” The Golden Rule. We’ve all known it ever since elementary school but how often and with what disposition to we go about implementing this in our daily lives? We should always strive to be Christ to others. Not just so that others are kind to us, or show mercy to us, but so that we can share our faith by way of example.

So often we grow frustrated when God’s answers to our prayers and to our petitions don’t come in the form we expect. Perhaps when we take a closer look at our lives we will see that God has, when we ask with a pure heart and genuine spirit, answered all our prayers. May we use this Lenten season to grow in fortitude and continue to persevere in our faith. May we also use this time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to be Christ to all those we encounter.

St. Frances of Rome, 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 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.