Tag: Dakota Pesce

Today’s Gospel is short, only 2 verses. When I first read it I thought to myself, “Now what in the world am I going to write about for this Gospel?! There’s nothing there!” But there is so much packed into these 2 short verses. 

In today’s Gospel, we hear what seems to be talked about a lot less than Christ’s miracles and His gathering of followers. We hear that His mission was not always easy. Throughout the years He spent preaching and performing miracles, He encountered countless people who rejected Him. Many thought that Christ was crazy, that he was “out of his mind”. Despite sharing the Truth of salvation, He experienced harsh criticism and condemnation. 

In the same way that Christ was mocked, ridiculed, and shunned for telling those around Him the Truth, so too do we risk being mocked, ridiculed, and shunned for our belief in the Truth. Yesterday (and throughout the month of January), all over the country hundreds of thousands of people marched for the rights of unborn babies. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops recognizes today as a “Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children”. Those who stand for the dignity of human life in the womb are met with the same ridicule and the same bitter criticism that Christ faced in the Gospel.  

St. John Paul the Great encouraged us in our mission of protecting the dignity of human life at all stages: “Never tire of firmly speaking out in defense of life from its conception and do not be deterred from the commitment to defend the dignity of every human person with courageous determination. Christ is with you: be not afraid!” In saying “Christ is with you”, John Paul II did not mean merely on a spiritual level, although that is true too. Christ is with us in our battle to share the Truth about human life. He endured the same derision for speaking the same Truth. 

May we find great comfort in uniting our suffering and the mockery we endure to that which Christ endured. In times of sorrow and frustration, may we seek His Holy Face and be reminded that He has already won the battle and place our hope and trust in Him. 

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Today’s Gospel Acclamation is one of my favorite verses in the Bible: “Jesus Christ became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” In this verse from Corinthians, we are reminded of the way Christ sacrificed Himself for our sake. He humbled Himself – He took on the poverty of humanity – in order that we might share in the richness of Heaven.  

This verse, which prepares us for the words of the Gospel, also reminds us that, in His humility, Christ Jesus allowed us to know His heart intimately. In the Gospel, Christ is calling us to follow in His footsteps, humble ourselves, and let Him know our own hearts intimately. The question is: How do we do that? Well, if we listen to this particular Gospel, we get the answer! We must be faithful in small things because that shows that we will also be faithful in big things.

I think the bigger question, at least for me, is: How do we do this in our everyday lives? I think the small things are the things we don’t think about: When we wake up and take a minute to thank God for allowing us another day, when we put something away that our spouse or our children left out, when we say a short prayer at the sound of an ambulance siren, when we smile at a stranger. All of those things are small ways in which we can show the love of Christ to others. Those things all create a habit of virtue which then allow us to do the big things: Go to Mass without hesitation not only on Holy Days of Obligation but other days as well, go to confession regularly, challenge the ones with love to be faithful, improve our prayer life, actively seek further knowledge in the faith. When we are faithful in the small things, we learn how to be faithful in the big things. When we allow the light of Christ to shine through us in our everyday lives and in our everyday interactions, we can truly live out the saying: “Preach the Gospel at all times, use words when necessary”.

May we continually humble ourselves at the foot of the cross so that we may gain the richness of Heaven and be united in Christ with great joy.

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What a joy and blessing it is to write a reflection for the Memorial of St. John Paul the Great! Today’s reflection will be on the optional set of readings for JPII’s Memorial.

In the Gospel we hear Christ ask Simon Peter three times if he loves Christ. Each time, Simon Peter responds by saying, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you”. Christ then tells Simon Peter to take care of His flock. In celebration of St. John Paul the Great, I thought I would read some of his writings for inspiration for this reflection. In an address to young people about the meaning of vocation, he said, “Do not be afraid of the radicalness of His demands, because Jesus, who loved us first, is prepared to give Himself to you, as well as asking of you. If He asks much of you, it is because He knows you can give much.” This reminded me so much of the Gospel reading. Christ asks Simon Peter three times if he loves Christ, not because He doubts Simon Peter, but as an indication that He will ask much of Simon Peter. He knows that Peter will deny Him. But He also knows that Peter will build up His Church, work for the conversion of souls, and instill hope in those he encounters. Simon Peter knew that his love for Christ would entail a great deal of suffering. He also knew that through suffering Christ would bring about true joy in being united with Him in Heaven. 

The Responsorial Psalm is “Proclaim God’s marvelous deeds to all the nations.” JPII did exactly that. He was the most travelled pope in history, visiting about 130 countries during his pontificate and about 600 cities outside of Italy. He began the tradition of World Youth Day, reaching millions of youth around the world. In a similar way to St. Peter, St. John Paul the Great brought the world together through the love of Christ. 

St. John Paul the Great, like St. Peter, humbly led the people of God to greater conversion and greater love of Christ. I think JPII was so well loved because he so beautifully radiated the love of Christ. He was able to do so because of his own faith and love of God. He taught us that when we fully love Christ and give our hearts to Him, we are trusting Him to care for us. 

I’d like to end with one of my favorite reminders from Pope John Paul II: “We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us”. 

St. John Paul the Great, pray for us!

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In today’s Gospel Christ is warning His disciples (and us) to practice what we preach. It is not only through our words that we can deny Christ; through our actions—and even through the things we choose not to do—we can deny God. Christ’s words are not just cautionary, they are encouraging as well. He reminds His disciples that we do not have to rely solely on ourselves when speaking of the Truth and of faith in God. The Holy Spirit Himself will guide our tongues to say the right thing. When we are faithful to God, He is faithful to us. 

We are also reminded of that faithfulness in the First Reading in God’s covenant with Abraham. Even in times of human failure, when man’s side of the covenant was not kept, God remained faithful. God knew that despite Abraham’s failings, he had put his full trust in the covenant He made with God so God kept His promise and made Abraham the father of many nations. He remains faithful to us because of His love for us. 

How often are we faithful to God in our words but don’t support those words with our actions? How often do we ask God to give us what we think we need but don’t turn to Him in moments of true despair or forget to praise Him in moments of true joy? May we always remember that it is by His love for us that we are saved from our sins. 

Sts. Hedwig and Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us!

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“And blasphemy, the sin against the Holy Spirit, is the one unforgivable sin…because it comes from closing the heart to God’s mercy which acts in Jesus.” -Pope Francis

Today’s Gospel has always stumped me. Why would the Pharisees think that Jesus, who is driving out demons, is driving out demons through the power of…demons? In response to the Pharisees’ questions and thoughts, Jesus asks them this very question. He tells them that if demons are driving out demons, it means that Satan’s kingdom is divided. Christ says this to emphasize the importance of not dividing the Kingdom of God. When we do things in the name of Christ, we must make sure that what we are doing is in line with God’s will. God wills for us to expand the Kingdom of God and bring more people to Him. We can’t do that, however, if we are not submitting our own wills to His holy will. 

In the Gospel Christ tells us, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” When we are not faithful to the truth of God’s word and when we do not trust His will, we are working against His Kingdom. Our goal should always be to bring more people to know God’s love and mercy. Christ also tells us that when our hearts are not fixed on Him, we are left open to the influences of the enemy. When we guard our hearts against evil, we are more able to open ourselves up to the will of God and put our complete trust in Him. 

May we guard our hearts against evil, and in doing so, may we unite ourselves evermore to the heart of Christ which is love and mercy itself.

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“Like billowing clouds, like the incessant gurgling of the brook, the longing of the spirit can never be stilled”. (St. Hildegard of Bingen)

I love this group of readings! Especially the Responsorial Psalm with the Gospel. We repeat the words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit; the Kingdom of heaven is theirs!” right before we hear of Christ’s followers. His followers were not perfect people. Mary Magdalene had seven demons driven out of her, there were other women who had been cured of sickness and evil spirits as well. These were women who wanted to be healed, and who had been healed by the love and mercy of Christ. Our tendency when we hear “Blessed are the poor in spirit” is to ask “Why would I want to be poor in spirit? Doesn’t that mean I lack faith?” Quite the opposite, actually. To be poor in spirit is to recognize your own spiritual poverty before the Lord. It is to recognize the need for God and the need for His love and mercy. So indeed, blessed are those who recognize their need for the Lord and live their lives in pursuit of unity with Him! 

The First Reading tells us how to be poor in spirit. That is, we are to avoid anything which goes against the teachings of Christ, we are to avoid riches so as not to distract ourselves from the pursuit of holiness. Instead, we should be seeking “righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness”. We should follow the example of Christ who, in his ministry, exemplified righteous anger, devotion to the Father, faith in the Father’s plan, love for all people, patience with his followers, and gentleness with those to whom He interacted. 

May we, like Christ Himself as well those who followed Him while he was on earth, put our full faith and trust in his love and mercy.

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“Let everything, mundane things and those above, join in festive celebration. Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator.” -St. Andrew of Crete

Today we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary’s birthday! Although the Bible does not tell us anything about Mary’s birth, Tradition names today as the day we celebrate her birth. As St. Andrew of Crete says, it is a day which deserves to be widely and greatly celebrated! It is because of the birth of Mary and because of her “yes” to the will of God that Christ became man. St. Andrew calls Mary’s womb a “…divine dwelling place for the Creator”. I often think of how wonderful Mary’s parents must have been to raise a child who so willingly and unquestioningly said “yes” to God’s will. Her childhood home must have been filled with love, grace, and faith. Her parents, Tradition gives us the names Joachim and Anne, fulfilled their role as parents in teaching her the faith. 

In today’s Gospel we hear both the genealogy of Christ and the story of the angel appearing to Joseph to tell him the Good News that Mary was carrying the Son of God, “Emmanuel” in her womb. The genealogy, while sometimes difficult or even boring to read, is important because it shows how Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of a Savior. He is the One for whom Israel had been waiting. Because of Mary’s “yes” to the plan of God, God is truly with us in the person of Jesus Christ. Today, I am especially grateful for Mary’s “yes” to motherhood and Joseph’s “yes” to fatherhood for it is through this Holy Family that we are able to share life with Christ. 

May we, in imitation of our Holy Mother Mary, say “yes” to Christ in every moment of our lives. May our lives be a reflection of His so that those around us may come to know Him through us.

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Today’s Gospel has always really stuck with me…especially the first part (up until “…whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven”). I know a big reason for this Gospel sticking with me is that I had to memorize it for one of my high school theology classes. At the time I’m sure I was frustrated that I had to memorize so many words for what felt like no reason. But now thinking about it, I realize how often I refer to this passage in my own personal faith as well as in conversations with others. In reflecting on the two readings for today–the first from Numbers and the Gospel from Matthew, I think I’m coming to understand the passage from Matthew more… I’m sure my high school theology teacher is somewhere saying, “See, Dakota, I told you it wasn’t all for nothing!”

In the reading from Numbers, we hear of Moses’ disobedience. To be completely honest, it wasn’t until someone pointed it out very recently that I understood how exactly Moses disobeyed God in this instance. It’s subtle. God’s command was to speak to the rock in order for it to produce water. Instead, Moses strikes the rock in order for it to produce water. Although it is subtle, Moses’ action makes evident his lack of faith in God’s power and God punishes the disobedience by not allowing Moses to enter into the Promised Land with his people. 

In the Gospel we hear Simon Peter’s profession of faith: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” It is after this profession that Jesus tells Peter that he is the rock upon which the Church will be built. The Church, in her wisdom, pairs the story of God bringing forth water for Moses through a rock and the story of Peter being the rock in order to show us that we can choose a path of disobedience or obedience. It also shows us that God can enact good despite man’s sin. Even though Moses did not follow God’s command, God still gave the Israelites water. Even though Peter denied Jesus, our Church is founded upon the leadership of Peter. God’s will and God’s power are not confined by human or earthly limitations. 

Personally, when I’m not putting my full trust in God it’s because I’m doubting His power or His will: “How could He possibly make this situation better?” “Why would God want this?” When we fully place our trust in His power, we are able to also submit ourselves to His will. When we do that, we no longer have doubts in why things are happening because we trust that God is enacting His will in our lives. 

May we always have faith in the power of God. May we also look to our Mother Mary as our hope and intercessor because it was her “yes” to God’s will that brought about the Incarnation!

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

He explains that the four different types of soil are representative of four different types of people. The seed that falls on that path but is stolen away is the person who does not understand the Gospel so the Evil One steals what was taking root in the person’s heart. 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 heard something in Scripture, in a homily, or in a talk and not understood it? Do we ask someone more knowledgeable than us to help us understand or do we forget it and not give it a second thought? That’s the seed falling on the path.

How many times have we gone on a retreat 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 was 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 throwing seed on the path and of being the rocky, thorny, or good soil. If we acknowledge that we don’t understand everything, 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. 

Today is the feast of St. Bridget of Sweden and I encourage you to read about her life! May we, following the example of St. Bridget, pray for Christ to do His will through us and pray that we may sow seeds of faith in good soil in which the faith is planted.

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