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Response Required

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I remember studying today’s Gospel passage all the way back in high school – my sophomore year spring semester New Testament class, to be exact. 

We obviously spent a lot of time studying the Sermon on the Mount – Jesus’ pinnacle teaching in the Gospel according to Matthew, in which He taught the disciples (and, by extension, us) on a number of different things. 

While I don’t remember every single word that poured forth from my teacher’s mouth that semester, I do remember spending a lot of time on today’s Gospel – the Teaching About Retaliation. 

Any modern-day interpretation of this passage is just downright strange and a little otherworldly. If you get slapped across the cheek, offer the other side as well? No thanks, hard pass. Why would anyone willingly offer to get slapped once, let alone twice? The other examples that Jesus offers, like someone suing for a cloak and then also handing over a tunic, just make things even weirder. 

The teachings were pretty countercultural at the time, too. Remember, the Jewish people followed the law given to them by Moses. Their law said, “‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’” meaning that if someone plucked out your eye, you got to pluck out their eye as punishment in return. 

If you read the footnote for this passage, it says, “The Old Testament commandment was meant to moderate vengeance; the punishment should not exceed the injury done. Jesus forbids even this proportionate retaliation.” 

Let’s pause and take that last statement in. Jesus doesn’t want “even this proportionate retaliation” and He certainly doesn’t want retaliation that goes above and beyond the initial hurt or injury. That must mean He doesn’t want us to retaliate AT ALL. Hence offering the other cheek or the tunic as well, the exact opposite of retaliation. 

What I think this passage offers to us today is the opportunity to reflect on how we respond when we are hurt by another person, no matter what kind of hurt it is. While we may not yet be up to the level of offering our other cheek, are we at least “slow to anger and abounding in mercy” (Psalm 145:8), remembering that our heavenly Father does the same for us when we hurt Him as the result of our sin? Or do we answer with a sharp tongue and lash out with our hurt feelings? 

After a moment of reflection, do not be afraid to ask the Lord to work within you, to invite Him into those moments of hurt and to guide your response in those moments. 

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Erin Madden is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter@erinmadden2016.

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Hope for Healing

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Today’s First Reading tells a beautiful story of healing with a powerful and yet often-overlooked role player – the archangel Raphael. 

When it comes to the three archangels, Michael and Gabriel seem to get most of the attention. I mean, Michael’s job is literally to defend us against Satan while Gabriel heralded the coming of the Messiah, the Son of God. But there is very little known about Raphael … until we turn to the pages of the Book of Tobit. 

The book’s namesake, Tobit, had gone blind and suffered for years; however, he was not the only one in need of healing as a woman named Sarah had suffered many misfortunes at the hands of a demon. Both ultimately found themselves begging for death to end their respective plights. 

Enter the archangel Raphael, whose name means “God heals” or “Divine healer.” To make a long story short, with the help of Raphael, Tobit sees again and Sarah is no longer tormented by a demon. What powerful works of healing!

Not only are the angels and archangels powerful intercessors for us in times of need but they show us the mighty works and wonders of God, who can heal every affliction of ours – great or small. 

We are all in need of healing in some way, shape or form. Maybe some of us need physical healing from an illness or injury like Tobit. Maybe we are in need of mental, emotional or spiritual healing like Sarah due to wounds of sin, our fallen human nature or other evils. Unlike Tobit and Sarah, though, we should not beg for death as an end to our suffering but, rather, have hope in our Lord Jesus who conquered sin and death, hope for healing. 

We certainly can – and should – pray to the angels, archangels and saints to intercede for our healing because who better to ask God on our behalf than the ones that are closest to Him in Heaven? But that also doesn’t mean that we should stop praying and asking God for our own healing. After all, He is the Divine Physician and He wants to hear from His beloved sons and daughters. 

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Erin Madden is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter@erinmadden2016.

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Sheep Being Fed

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“Simon, son of John, do you love me? … Feed my sheep.” 

Today’s Gospel has had an impact on my life for many years now … at least 13, if my memory serves me correct. 

It was 13 years ago that a newly ordained priest was starting his first assignment at my then-home parish. I had never before met a priest like him – young, full of joy and laughter and, most important to me (at the time), actively involved in youth ministry. 

Throughout his four years at my home parish, I saw the ministry of the priesthood up close and personal for the first time. I saw a man who truly laid down his life at the service of ALL of God’s people. And I was introduced to the person of Jesus Christ through him. 

My personal journey of discipleship started when I was in high school and this priest played a huge role, simply by his willingness to be present and listen to us young people. He has since continued to walk with me on my journey of discipleship, well into my adult years. While he has long moved on from my home parish, I still find myself reaching out to share joys, triumphs, struggles and burdens.

What does this priest have to do with today’s Gospel? Well, for his priesthood verse/theme, he selected the above verse from John. I still remember the day he handed us his priesthood card with that verse on the back and I can still tell you exactly where that priesthood card is. He was … and still is … the embodiment of what feeding His sheep looks like. Not only does he feed God’s sheep by offering up the sacrifice of the Mass and nourishing us spiritually with the Eucharist but also in so many other ways that would exceed my word count for this blog alone. 

Now as a youth minister, I can relate to this same verse as I strive to feed the young people of today’s Church. And, in a beautiful way, I am reminded of this task every time I step into my church building for those same words, “Simon, son of John, do you love me? … Feed my sheep” are written on an arch above the choir loft in my church. 

This call to feed God’s sheep is a call for each one of us in our different vocations and states of life. Priests are called in a very concrete and intentional way to offer up the Body and Blood of Christ for our sake. Other religious men and women are called to serve the Church in different ministries of prayer and service, etc., all of which nourish the whole Church as the Body of Christ. Married couples are called to feed their children not only physically but also spiritually as the first educators of the faith. And single men and women are called to serve the Church in a variety of different ways that share God’s love with all people. 

How are you being called to feed His sheep?

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Erin Madden is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter@erinmadden2016.

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How He Speaks

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Upon first reading of, well, the First Reading, it would appear that it’s just another story of Paul sharing the Good News and building up the early Church. That’s all well and good (I mean, where would we be right now without the work of the early disciples?) but one might become more concerned with how they would pronounce the cities Troas and Samothrace instead of what they can take from the reading and they might miss this gem of a verse. 

“…and the Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying.” 

I think we can find ourselves in two positions within this verse – that of the woman whose heart was opened and that of Paul who was evangelizing. 

Let’s start with the woman. In our fallen human nature, how many times have our hearts been closed off to the ways and words of the Lord, whether it was due to our own sin or to our own ignorance? When we sin, when we choose things against the Lord, when we choose opposite of His will for our lives, we harden our hearts and seek the voice of the world instead. Or sometimes, we seek the voice of the Lord but we box Him in with our own expectations. We fail to hear the whisper in the wind when we are looking for the boom of the lightning bolt instead. 

Fear not, brothers and sisters, for the Lord is more powerful and more merciful than we often give Him credit for. He can bust down the largest and thickest walls built up around our hearts. There is no heart that he can’t open. He can, does and will speak to us, in His own way, in His own time. 

Now let’s look at how we are like Paul. Through our Baptism, we are each given the mission to proclaim the Good News and build up the kingdom of God – the same mission that was given to Paul and the early disciples. When we are evangelizing, we have to remember that it is the Lord who speaks through us. He’s working in the hearts of both parties, the one doing the speaking and the one doing the listening, because it’s His Good News. 

What is the Lord asking you to open your heart to? What is He asking you to pay attention to this week? This month? This year? What is He asking you to proclaim in your task of evangelization? These are questions we should all consider. 

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions as a full-time youth minister and a freelance sports writer. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Why Lent? Why the Cross?

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Don’t look now but Ash Wednesday is around the corner. Are you ready for Lent? My guess is that there are some of us still scrambling to decide what it is we will give up for Lent. 

While Lent is seen as a 40-day preparation period for Easter, a little preparation is also helpful for Lent itself, i.e. evaluating our spiritual life, what is keeping us away from God that we might need to sacrifice, etc. Today’s readings serve as a beautiful reminder as to why it is that we even need a season of Lent, especially the First Reading. 

This passage from Genesis picks up right after the Fall of Man, where God confronts Adam and Eve for their actions and starts laying out the consequences: Eve will have pain in childbearing, Adam’s work will be tiresome, they’ll eventually suffer death and they’ve been banished from the Garden of Eden. 

I studied this passage numerous times in college and even spent this past summer teaching my high schoolers about it, so I could break out some heavy theology and start quoting Hebrew to explain the spiritual significance for all of us. I’ll spare you, though. What the entire Chapter 3 of the Book of Genesis really boils down to is this – it is the moment that humanity needed a Savior. 

The journey of Jesus’ Passion, Death and Resurrection began in the very moment of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, when they eternally separated themselves (and you and I, by extension) from a life lived in union with God. There was only going to be one way that that eternal union would ever be restored: Jesus Christ had to offer his life as a sacrifice for all mankind and open the gates of Heaven for all of us. 

This is what we remember on Easter Sunday (and every Sunday) when we gather together at Mass. This is what we spend 40 days preparing for, this great moment of our redemption. Together, during Lent, we can reflect on Jesus’ unconditional love for us, shown by His sacrifice, and we are invited to participate in it through our own penance, sacrifices and suffering. 

During these upcoming 40 days and all the days after, I challenge you to examine your life through the light of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. What is holding you back from living in relationship with Him? What sins of yours did He willingly die for, so that you could be with Him in Heaven one day? Identify those things and work to root them out of your life so that, together, one day we may enjoy the reward of eternal life.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions as a full-time youth minister and a freelance sports writer. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter @erinmadden2016.

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Finding Hope in Suffering

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It is said that the only two constants in life are death and taxes. I would add a third to this list – suffering. 

Suffering is a natural part of human life. We all suffer at some point in our life whether physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually – and often more than once. Just look at our world in the past year, where we’ve seen plenty of suffering. 

Being Catholic doesn’t mean that we are immune to suffering. In fact, some of us may suffer more than others. However, being Catholic means that our suffering takes on a different meaning. 

Today’s First Reading from the Book of Hebrews speaks on suffering in some pretty harsh terms: “publicly exposed to abuse and affliction,” “joined in the sufferings of those in prison” and “confiscation of your property.” And, all of these things took place after one was “enlightened,” which is an ancient metaphor referring to Baptism.

If this is the kind of treatment that we can expect after we are baptized and welcomed into the Church … yikes. Why would anyone willingly volunteer (or volunteer their children) to be baptized if suffering is what we can expect? 

Do not despair, though, for Romans 8:18 reads, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us.” While we have suffered in the past, are suffering in the present and may suffer in the future, we have the hope that is given to us through Christ on the cross – that, much like Jesus’ suffering brought about our redemption and eternal life, our own suffering can be transformed, with the help of God’s grace, for His greater glory. 

There is even more hope offered to us in this First Reading. It’s not all doom and gloom but, rather, speaks of “knowing that you had a better and lasting possession” and “… those who have faith will possess life.” It speaks of the great peace and comfort that we can have when we suffer, knowing what God can do with our hurt and pain. It speaks of future glory, not of past or present struggles. 

This is what we have to hold on to. It’s not always easy to change our perspective, our way of thinking. However, if we can become more disposed to give our sufferings over to God, He can and will do beautiful things with them. Trust in Him. Trust in His hope, trust in His mercy, trust not in misery. 

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Erin Madden is a Cleveland native and graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is passionate about the Lord Jesus, all things college sports and telling stories and she is blessed enough to get paid for all three of her passions. You can catch her on old episodes of the Clarence & Peter Podcast on YouTube as well as follow her on Twitter@erinmadden2016.

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Admiring Anna

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Who is this mysterious woman we hear about in today’s Gospel (and this past weekend’s Gospel, for that matter)? 

Anna only appears one time across all four Gospels, in this passage from Luke. Yet, she is one of the more intriguing characters and someone from which we can learn a lot. 

Being a prophetess, Anna was blessed to have a close relationship with God and was advanced in a lot of spiritual ways. One thing that sticks out to me is her wisdom. Yes, Anna lived until she was 84 years old – a long life by today’s standards – which was well beyond the typical lifespan in ancient times, meaning that she was able to accumulate and grow in wisdom in a strictly secular sense. 

However, Anna was also spiritually wise as we can see in verse 39, “And coming forward at that time, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were awaiting the redemption of Israel.” Anna knew who the child Jesus was – the Messiah who was long awaited by Israel. 

Wisdom is an oft-desired quality but can we say that we ourselves are spiritually wise? Can we truly say that we know Jesus as our Savior and Messiah? Even if our answer is no, fear not – for we can grow in spiritual wisdom. A great place to start would be asking the Holy Spirit to intercede for us and bestow His gift of wisdom upon us. We can’t just stop there, though. We need to work to know our Lord Jesus Christ – we come to know him in prayer, in receiving the sacraments and in each other. 

This is another thing that Anna does so well – she “never left the temple” and worshiped with “fasting and prayer.” It’s no wonder that Anna knew who Jesus was – because she constantly spent time in His Father’s house (that is, the temple – see Luke 2:49). 

How are you doing with prayer and the sacraments? Has your prayer life gone by the wayside? Have you stopped attending Mass due to the convenience of watching Mass from your recliner with a cup of coffee? If we are to truly know our Lord, these are things that cannot be set aside. 

As we approach the start of a new year, take a moment to pause and evaluate your spiritual life, using Anna as an example. If there’s an area or two where you need improvement, look to her for inspiration. 

May we all continue to know and serve the Lord better in 2021.

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

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Listen and Heed His Help

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“Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

What aren’t we hearing, then? So often we miss the memo, miss the message – whether from the Lord or from others in our own life. Why? Maybe it’s from sheer inattentiveness, maybe it’s a product of our own stubbornness or maybe it’s an unwillingness to listen.

All of these present obstacles to living our Christian life, as the Lord never stops speaking to us. It is we who don’t pay attention. It is we who believe that we can live a good, holy, moral life all on our own, without any assistance. It is we who choose to stop listening to Him. Yet, despite all of our shortcomings, God never stops pursuing us!

The Lord is trying to tell us so much in this First Reading from Isaiah, if only we can open our ears and open our hearts.

Here, his message is simple. “I will help you.” Isaiah then paints a vivid picture to describe how the Lord helps, using a very interesting choice of words. Jacob is described as a worm and Israel as a maggot. Worms and maggots can’t do much on their own. Any usefulness is dependent upon the worm or maggot being acted upon by someone or something outside of itself. For example, birds will eat worms for food but the bird must first be hungry. The worm can’t do anything on its own to feed the bird.

There isn’t much to a worm or a maggot but that doesn’t stop the Lord. With His help, Israel can then become a “threshing sledge, sharp, new and double-edged.” With the Lord’s help, Israel can thresh the mountain, make the hills like chaff and winnow them away. From being as lowly as a worm to being powerful enough to act upon nature – that’s what the Lord’s help can do.

What help can He offer us, then? Almost anything that we can imagine, we can call upon the Lord for His help. Nothing is too big and nothing is too small for Him. In fact, God waits for his beloved sons and daughters to ask for His help, much like we would go to our own earthly fathers for a solution to our problems.

The Lord is ever ready to lend a hand to His people. May we not be too proud to extend our own hand to Him and accept what He offers.

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

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Christ Over Cancel Culture

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Cancel culture is something we’ve become all too familiar with in our current, well, culture. But, for those of you who may not know what cancel culture is – on dictionary.com, cancel culture is described as being, “the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive.”

Society has been trying to cancel Christianity, and especially Catholicism, for a long time now. They’ve been taking God out of our schools, silencing our voices on social media and so much more. And everything we say related to the faith is most definitely considered “offensive.”

What we’re experiencing in our culture today sounds a lot like today’s Gospel reading, where Jesus says to the crowd, “they will seize and persecute you” and “you will be hated by all because of my name.”

We’ve already been persecuted. We’re already hated. This isn’t news to us. In fact, it’s been happening to Christians for centuries. We can instead draw strength from our brothers and sisters that have gone before us and who have dealt with the same persecutions that we’re facing. We can pray through the intercession of the martyrs who willingly gave up their lives in defense of the faith.

We can also look to Christ as our example – a man who was so reviled and hated for his counter-cultural teachings that they sought any way to put him to death. His death wasn’t the political victory the Romans and Jewish leaders thought it would be. Rather, it was a spiritual victory for all who followed after Christ, a victory that cancelled sin and death and opened the gates of Heaven for us all.

Jesus wasn’t cancelled. Neither are we cancelled, although many may try. Instead, we give testimony to our faith in God and our relationship with Jesus, looking to the Holy Spirit to inspire us with the words “that will be powerless to resist or refute.” For when we preach what is good, true and beautiful, it is impossible to ignore.

This Gospel isn’t one of despair or distress; rather, it is one of hope, for Jesus tells us that not a hair on our heads will be destroyed and “by perseverance you will secure your lives.”

So, no matter what the world believes or may try to do, we have the power. We have the victory. We have Christ on our side, Christ who is bigger than the world and who cancels out everything about cancel culture.

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

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Finding a Way to See the Lord

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The story of Zacchaeus has been following me around lately, between Gospel readings and Lectio Divina reflections and opening prayers at Confirmation sessions.

So I have to wonder – what is the Lord trying to tell me by repeatedly sharing this passage with me in different ways? What, then, am I able to share with all of you?

First, there is always a way to “see” the Lord, no matter the circumstances. Zacchaeus was a tax collector and a rich man – someone that the Israelites despised and looked down upon for his actions. Yet Zacchaeus still had a desire to see the Lord! When Jesus was passing through, Zacchaeus then proved to be resourceful and climbed a tree, knowing that he was too short to see Jesus on his own.

There is an innate desire for God written on all of our hearts, one that never wavers or goes away. Even when we sin and struggle, even when we don’t know it, we want to see God. Sometimes that means knowing our own limitations and getting creative in order to see the Lord. Climb a tree if you have to. Do whatever it takes to see and know the Lord.

Second, Jesus knows where to find us and he will come seek us out. Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was up in a tree, knew exactly which tree it was and came directly to Zacchaeus in that tree. The Lord can and will work around our limitations. He knows exactly where we are and He will come to find us. Don’t try to hide from Him.

Third, Jesus extends a personal invitation to each of us. Jesus asked Zacchaeus to dine in his house around his table. God calls each of us to gather together and dine at His table – the altar – every week for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This is where we have the most personal, face-to-face encounter with the Lord when we receive Him in the Eucharist. May we continue to seek out these encounters with a renewed desire and appreciation for the Mass.

Finally, the invitation that Jesus offers us includes a call to repentance. When the crowd heard who Jesus asked to dine with, they grumbled that Zacchaeus was a sinner. We are all sinners ourselves. One of the most joyous aspects of this passage is Zacchaeus’ change of heart, in repaying what he had taken from people and giving his possessions to the poor. Our change of heart takes place in the confessional. Our repayment takes the form of admitting our sins, giving them over to Jesus in contrition and the words of absolution. We are offered the chance at repentance and forgiveness – receive His mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

With all of the lessons that we can learn, may we strive to follow in the footsteps and echo the words of Zacchaeus, who sought out the Lord at all costs, who was found, who recognized his faults and who found the hope of salvation through Jesus.

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

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Doing a Lot with Just a Little

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Have you ever Google searched a mustard seed? Or have you ever seen one in person? Those things are pretty dang tiny (and even that might be an understatement).

That’s why I’ve always found today’s Gospel – and others like it – intriguing. The size of a mustard seed doesn’t lend itself to much. You wouldn’t expect much out of it upon sight. That’s where the intrigue lies, for when a mustard seed is planted, it grows into a large plant.

Today’s Gospel draws the comparison of the Kingdom of Heaven to the large bush that grows from a single mustard seed. The bush was large and fully-grown, attracting the birds of the sky to come and rest in its branches.

As I read those verses and try to imagine what Jesus must have meant with this parable, it struck me that our own understanding of the Kingdom of Heaven is much like a single mustard seed – small, to say the least. Yet, when the mustard seed is planted in the ground, something comes forth much larger and more beautiful than expected.

We have no earthly understanding of what the Kingdom of Heaven will be like and yet we are called to make the Kingdom of Heaven present here on earth. How can we make the Kingdom of Heaven known when we can’t even wrap our minds around it ourselves? It is certainly greater than any human words or comparison could ever hold. Instead, we entrust our mustard seed-like understanding to the Lord, plant the seed and work, allowing Him to take care of the rest. Eventually, one day, when we have finished our mission here on earth (and finished it well), we will be rewarded by our own presence in the Kingdom of Heaven.

My take from all of this is that the Lord can do a lot of good with just a little. Just a little what, though? A little faith. A little hope. A little love. A little trust, a little time and a little space in our lives and hearts. That’s all we need to give Him – though, hopefully, we end up giving the Lord more than that!

If you aren’t sure where to start, ask God to show you. That’s giving Him a little bit of room to work in your life while also giving Him a little bit of your faith.

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

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Open Up The Old Testament

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Salvation history is a story, a story of how God revealed Himself to be a Father, a story of how God invites each and every person to be a part of His family.

It’s a beautiful story, weaving through the Old Testament and culminating in the New Covenant Himself, the person of Jesus Christ. It’s also a difficult and trying story, full of so much sin and heartbreak and regret as the Israelite people struggled to accept God as their Father and their one true King.

I spent the entire summer walking through salvation history with my high school youth group. When we came to the final night where we talked about Jesus as the New Covenant, I closed out the whole topic by posing a question, the same question(s) I pose to you today.

What’s the point? Why does salvation history matter?

Salvation history isn’t just a long and drawn-out story that happened thousands of years ago in a place far, far away from here. Salvation history is our story, right here and right now.

How so?

Because God is still revealing Himself as Father to us, much like He did with the Israelites of long ago. Because we are invited to be part of His family.

We are welcomed into God’s family through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of His only begotten Son Jesus. Through His passion and death, we were reconciled with God the Father and the gates of heaven were opened to us.

Today’s First Reading from Galatians takes us back into the story of salvation history to the time of Abraham. In Genesis 12, God established a covenant with Abraham, a three-part covenant actually, in which He promised to make Abraham a great nation, to make his name great and that, through Abraham’s descendants, all families on earth would find blessing.

Abraham pleaded with the Lord that the covenant be made with his son Ishmael, whom he had with Hagar, his Egyptian maidservant. But the Lord insisted that the covenant be carried out through the son he would have with his wife Sarah, Isaac.

Later on in Genesis 22, Abraham was called to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice upon Mount Moriah. Because Abraham did not withhold his only son, God promised to bless all of Abraham’s descendants, the blessing being a fatherly one.

What we learn from what almost took place on Mount Moriah is what would need to happen for Israel’s salvation, a faithful Father who was willing to offer up His only Son as a sacrifice.

I could go on and on but then I’ll end up going way past the allotted word count so I’ll leave you with this. Don’t be afraid to dive into the story of salvation. But most of all, keep your eyes and your hearts open to how God your Father calls you to be a part of His family.

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