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Desert Times

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Uncertainty. That seems to be the only constant nowadays. Times are uncertain and have been for a little while now. What I write today, Friday, March 27, will not be the same on the day this blog post is published, Tuesday, March 31. What is going on in my home state of Ohio is not the same for readers from (insert state name here). But, yet, we all share similar experiences, thoughts, and feelings about this COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us are working from home. Our children are doing online distance-learning. Our cupboards are stocked with essentials, and grocery store shelves are bare. We are worried about our own health and the health of those we love. We can list the COVID-19 vs. common cold vs. flu symptoms. Our eyes have been glued to our screens anxiously waiting for the latest information, whether it be from social media, news media, or straight from our governors’ mouths.

I see similarities in these times and these feelings to today’s first reading from the Book of Numbers. The children of Israel, their patience, being worn out by the journey compares to us being sick of “social distancing” and quarantine. There is complaining. We see complaining all over our social media feeds and probably hear it enough with our own ears in between the four walls of our houses. Lacking food or water compares to the empty shelves we see when we go shopping, looking for the bare necessities to get us through this time. COVID-19 could be the seraph serpents that are biting the people, many of whom died. And, yes, of course, we have been praying that this virus comes to an end, much like the Israelites prayed that the Lord take the serpents away from them.

While we are all sharing similar experiences, readers, one thing we also share, another link we have in common, is our faith. This faith may be a source of comfort to you during this time, or it might also be struggling in the face of darkness, like everything else in the world. It may be easy to see Churches locked and public celebration of Mass suspended as a sign of despair and of hopelessness – that God has abandoned His people in the midst of crisis. Brothers and sisters, we are in the midst of Lent. Yes, liturgically and in the sense of dates and the calendar, but also literally.

We are in the desert, side-by-side with the Lord. We hunger and thirst for an end to this terrible illness, for the opportunity to hug our family and friends and, most especially, for the Eucharist. And we can take a small bit of comfort in knowing that Christ hungers and thirsts for these things right alongside us. The Lord does not want suffering, sickness, and death. He does not want to be torn apart from those that He loves, and He wants to be present with us and to us in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. For all these reasons and more, not wanting to spend life without us, God sent His only Son into the world to become human and redeem humanity through suffering and death. This is what we prepare our hearts for during Lent. This is what we are preparing our hearts for in this time of pandemic-induced crisis. Our greatest desire is for certainty, for hope, for joy, and for light. We desire the Easter Resurrection that is to come, and we will rejoice again at the Table of the Lord. We will rejoice in social gatherings and groups of our families and friends.

For those who are feeling distanced from the Church – as someone who works for a local parish, let me be the first to tell you – the Church is adapting. The Church is overcoming. The Church is finding new ways to reach its flock. Many individual parishes have started recording or streaming Masses for their faith. And if your parish hasn’t gotten there yet, I can guarantee you that they are working on it. They are desperate to meet you where you are at – which is at home, “social distancing” and under quarantine. Other parishes have already reached steps even beyond that, with Eucharistic holy hours, Bible studies and discipleship all taking place in the digital realm. The Pope has brought the worldwide community of the faithful together at appointed times for prayer – the rosary, the Our Father, the Urbi et Orbi blessing, and probably more to come – for the eradication of this virus and healing for those affected by it.

The Church will be there, waiting for you when we are able to return. We just need to be patient until we can get to that “Easter morning.” May we return with much rejoicing, with a heart that has been sufficiently prepared for the moment and with great faith in the hope of Jesus Christ.

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Erin 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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Jesus and Joseph

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Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. But what law are we talking about? And what does that have to do with Lent and Easter?

Going all the way back to the Old Testament, Moses went up Mount Sinai and received the 10 Commandments. From the very beginning, God was preparing His chosen people for the coming of Christ. You see, the Old Law, the 10 Commandments, tell us what we are to do but we still struggle in following this law due to our fallen human nature.

Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. The Law of the Gospel, the New Law of Jesus Christ, perfects the Old Law. The Old Law has been transformed through Jesus’ teachings but, most especially, through His Passion, Death and Resurrection when He sends us the Holy Spirit, which gives us the strength to live the law in love and out of love.

That’s not all the Passion does for us, though. Most importantly, Jesus reconciles us with God the Father and we receive the promise of new life in eternity DESPITE the consequences of original sin, which brought sin and death into the world. His death brings about new life, which permeates the hope and joy of the springtime and Easter season.

Okay, enough with the background information. In today’s first reading, I saw striking similarities between Joseph and Jesus, ones that I had never really seen before despite being familiar with the Old Testament story of Joseph (Yes, thanks to the movie and the Broadway play). Similarities that make you stop and think.

Israel sent Joseph out to his brothers, who were tending their father’s flocks, much like God the Father sent Jesus, His Beloved Son, into the world to reconcile us to Himself. Are we, the Church, the people of God, not considered Christ’s brothers and sisters?

Upon catching sight of Joseph, his brothers plotted to kill him. Were there not many who sought the Lord’s life between the scribes and the Pharisees? How many times do we read in the Gospels that those two groups wanted Jesus arrested and killed? More times than I can count.

Joseph was stripped of his tunic while Jesus was stripped of his garments before His crucifixion. Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver while Judas sold out Jesus to the chief priests for thirty pieces of silver.

Despite all of these small similarities, there is one big difference being that Joseph was only sold into slavery and not actually killed while Jesus suffered death on the cross for our sake. There was no other way to pay the price for our sins.

There are many ways we can be drawn into preparation for Easter, sometimes in ways we might not even recognize. Continue to prepare your heart for the Lord’s coming by turning away from sin and turning toward God.

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Erin 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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Conversion Moment

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What even is the whole point of Lent? Why do we take 40 days to prepare for Jesus’ Resurrection at Easter? Why do we embrace penance and suffering during this season? As I prepared my high school youth a few weeks ago for this new liturgical season, these are questions I sought to answer – at least, with more than just the pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.

After researching, reading and spending time in prayer, I was surprised by the answers myself. One answer that I felt fairly confident about comes from paragraph 540 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which reads, “By the solemn forty days of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in the desert.” Jesus himself spent 40 days in the desert, fasting and enduring multiple temptations from Satan, so it only makes sense that we would enter into that mystery ourselves.

Then, the words of Ash Wednesday struck me: “Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel.” Here is where the true challenge of Lent lies – why we choose to give something up for 40 days, why we seek out additional prayer opportunities and why we give alms. It’s all about conversion – conversion toward God and conversion toward others.

Conversion runs deep in today’s readings. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear about what happens when one removes “oppression, false accusation and malicious speech” but also does good works of feeding the hungry and comforting the afflicted. Much is given to these people – the Lord will guide them and refresh them and more. I see quite a parallel to Easter here, where the joyous light of the Resurrection follows our time of conversion during Lent. We also see a reminder about keeping holy the Sabbath, which directly correlates to the conversion of God through prayer during Lent. When we honor the Lord through the Sabbath, through the celebration of Mass on Sunday, we delight in the Lord and He delights in us.

The tax collector Levi experienced a conversion himself in the Gospel reading. It began with a simple invitation from the Lord, “‘Follow me.’” The wealthy tax collector left everything behind to follow Jesus, which, of course, caused controversy among the scribes and Pharisees. When questioned why He spent so much time with tax collectors and prostitutes, Jesus spoke of their great need for a Savior. “I have not called the righteous to repentance but sinners.”

Lent has just started, brothers and sisters. Let us truly embrace this time of conversion and repentance as we turn away from sin and turn toward God.

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Erin 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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A Hard Take on Discipleship

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When I interviewed for my current youth ministry job, my now-coworkers asked me, “So what do you know about St. Peter Church?” Thanking the Lord I had spent time looking at the parish website the night before my interview, I confidently replied that the purpose of St. Peter Church is to make missionary disciples.

Mic drop, crushed it … or so I thought. Until they asked me something along the lines of “So how would you make missionary disciples out of the teens?” Although I don’t remember my answer in full, I do remember stating that we needed to start with the question, “What is a disciple and what does it take to be one?”

You see, we are all called to be disciples – everyone, more than just the parishioners of St. Peter Church. And we learn a lot about what it takes to be a disciple in today’s Gospel reading. Verses 34-38 present many short teachings on the conditions of discipleship, with verses 34 and 35 perhaps being the most well known: “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and that of the gospel will save it.”

In these verses, Jesus presents a challenge to his current disciples and all those disciples still to come. Discipleship involves a choice and He lays it all on the line, not holding anything back about what it takes to be a disciple. A true, authentic disciple will totally commit himself or herself to the task at hand, all the way to the point of suffering or death. As a result, a disciple who is loyal to Christ will have fullness of life, even despite earthly suffering and death.

Jesus takes it a step further in verse 36 and puts the conditions of discipleship in monetary terms, such as “profit,” “forfeit” and “exchange.” Here, He is asking, “What is worth more, your riches or your soul?” Today’s society places such an emphasis on monetary gain at the expense of almost everything else while Jesus reminds everyone of the danger of wealth.

Meanwhile, the final verse serves as a stern reminder to uphold the truth of Jesus’ teaching. Anyone who is afraid to speak the truth or dilutes it in any way will be ashamed when he or she comes before the Lord.

How do we stack up? By these conditions, how does our discipleship look? Do we need to take a hard look at ourselves and make some difficult changes? May we look to this Gospel for the right direction.

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Erin 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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Disciples Making Disciples

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How often do we forget our call, our vocation, as Catholic Christians? We might get hung up on the word “vocation,” thinking that, “I’m living out my marriage/priesthood/religious life/single life, isn’t that enough?” No, it’s not enough. In fact, there’s so much more.

We all share a singular, universal mission: to go and make disciples of all nations. Today, on the Memorial of St. Paul Miki and his companions, we receive the very-needed reminder of our shared Baptismal call as we celebrate and honor one of the saints that best embraced this mission.

St. Paul Miki lived during a time of Christian persecution in Japan. A Jesuit known for his style of preaching, he was able to convert a great number of hearts to Catholicism. Meanwhile, the Japanese rulers became fearful of the growing influence of Catholicism and questioned their intentions, so beginning the widespread persecution. Paul Miki was eventually arrested, imprisoned, and sentenced to death for his “crimes.” Even hanging on a cross, he spent his final minutes preaching to those present for his execution. Once the time of persecution was over, missionaries arrived back in Japan during the late 1800s to find that Christians had hidden and preserved their faith. At the price of his life and knowing exactly his fate, St. Paul Miki truly embraced his Baptismal call as he made disciples all across Japan.

Thankfully, we here in the United States aren’t experiencing persecution like that seen in Japan during St. Paul Miki’s time, but that doesn’t mean our task of making disciples is any less difficult. We face different challenges, like those wanting and willing to discredit the Church for the sex abuse crisis, like the culture of death evident in abortion and like the suppression of all that is good and true in the media, especially when it comes to Christian values. I argue that this is when we need to be making disciples the most. And we may not be risking our lives but rather our reputation and wellbeing. How far are you willing to go to embrace the call to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you”?

May we look to St. Paul Miki and his courage as we strive to live out our Baptismal call.

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Erin 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, Learn, Repent

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When I sit down to write a blog post, my first thought is, “What can we learn from these readings? What can we take to heart and to prayer?” Upon first glance, I thought today’s first reading was more of an entertaining story with little to no takeaway while the Gospel, the call of the 12 apostles, had all of the substance. I must admit that I was wrong.

There is a lot to unpack in the dialogue between David and Saul. First and foremost, we see David’s ability to discern the voice of the Lord and follow His commands. On the other hand, David’s servants thought they heard the Lord’s voice clearly when they encouraged David to kill Saul, his enemy, who was seeking his life. However, David knew that Saul was the Lord’s anointed one and that he had been forbidden by the Lord to lay a hand on his master. And so David clearly heard and understood the Lord’s voice, sparing Saul’s life.

How clearly do we hear the Lord’s voice in our own lives? Do we hear His voice, ignore it, and choose to listen to the noise of our culture and society instead? I believe struggling to hear the Lord’s voice is why so many of us struggle in times of prayer. We turn to God in prayer seeking answers, His input, His wisdom, His love, and so much more. When we don’t hear or see a response clear enough for our human eyes, we question whether our prayer was heard and whether God cares about us. The Lord’s voice is often heard in the silence, in peace, and in stillness. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for the ways He works in the little spaces, the little corners of our lives.

We can also learn a lesson from Saul in the first reading too. When David confronts Saul, revealing that he had spared his life, Saul embraces the spirit of repentance and forgiveness. Saul realized that he had been in the wrong as he sought to kill David and recognized David’s generosity.

In our human condition, we experience so much need for repentance and forgiveness. We sin, and we involve others in our sin. We need mercy and forgiveness, which is won for us by Christ on the cross, but we also need this mercy on a human level. A lot can be accomplished by the words, “I’m sorry for what I have done. Can you please forgive me?” Words that should be spoken to each other but especially to our Heavenly Father through the sacrament of Reconciliation. Although we just wrapped up the seasons of Advent and Easter, this sentiment is a wonderful Lenten attitude.

Stop. Listen for the Lord’s voice. Follow His commands. Ask for forgiveness when we don’t follow His commands. Repeat. Thank you, David and Saul, for these simple reminders.

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Erin 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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Heard and Answered

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Confidence was the first word that jumped out at me in today’s first reading. However, I found myself lacking in confidence as I struggled to come up with an engaging introduction to this blog post. This lack of confidence felt unusual since I majored in journalism in college and have always considered myself to be a strong writer. So I stopped and quickly assessed – where do I feel confident in other areas of my life and my work? How about youth ministry, since that’s my chosen career? It depends on the day and what’s coming up on the schedule. Work-life balance? Getting better and maintaining friendships? I have good intentions but sometimes struggle on the follow-through. Writing? Heck yeah. That’s my jam. 

Then it hit me. Can I say I truly have confidence in my spiritual life? Am I certain that the Lord will help me move from times of desolation to consolation, whenever they may happen? Do I know He will bestow grace and blessings? Have I turned to Him in prayer, trusting that my request will be heard and answered in accordance with His will? Some things better than others. Here is why today’s first reading spoke to me in particular and why I hope it speaks to you too. 

John, the apostle, tells his readers that we “have this confidence in him,” not that we will have confidence in the future, but this confidence is for right here and right now! John continues his point by explaining just what we should have confidence in – that God will hear us when we ask anything of Him. Therefore, if we know for certain that He hears us, we can also know that He will answer our requests, all according to His will. 

This small point should give us so much comfort! How many times have we stopped ourselves on the cusp of prayer, questioning whether or not God will hear and answer us? John has given us the very answer to our oft-asked question, written down in Scripture. However, there is one important thing to remember – even though God always answers our prayers, sometimes the answer isn’t the one we expected. In our wounded humanity, we think we know what is best for ourselves, but our plan and our vision doesn’t always line up with what God has in mind. God will always answer our prayers according to His will for the good of our life lived for Him and the work of building the kingdom of God. 

You might be wondering how it is possible that we can have this confidence in turning to God with our needs and petitions. I wish to draw your attention to the first line of the footnote for 1 John 5:14-21 that says, “As children of God we have confidence in prayer because of our intimate relationship with him.” Because our identity is that we are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we can always turn to Him with whatever is on our minds and hearts and will “how much more your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.” (Mt 7:11)

Keeping all this in mind, the next time you turn to the Lord in prayer, have confidence that it will be heard and answered, no matter how big or small your request might be.

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Erin 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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Out of Love

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Love is complicated — end of story. 

Okay, not really end of story. But love IS complicated – that statement shouldn’t surprise anyone. It’s complicated enough that I went through several different intros for this blog post. Nothing I wrote seemed strong enough to convey the right sentiment. And yet, love and movements of the heart are all over today’s readings. 

We have all experienced love in our lives – the love of parents for their children, a husband’s love for his wife, mutual affection and sharing between friends, and more. Whether we realize it or not, we have loved and been loved. It’s been both painful and beautiful, tender and deep. 

Yet, it pales in comparison to the love the Heavenly Father has for His children. Praise the Lord for that! Original holiness saw Adam and Eve walking with the Lord in the Garden of Eden, living in union with Him in His love. And even when they screwed up, God still loved them. He didn’t leave His most beloved creation in chaos but planned to redeem and reconcile them to His love. 

John 3:16 is one of the most quoted lines of Scripture; however, I believe it’s one of the least understood. Or maybe it’s understood on a very basic level, in our minds but not in the depths of our hearts. “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” This point is repeated again at the end of today’s first reading – a reminder we all need. 

Love is also a subtle theme of the Gospel, the Feeding of the Five Thousand. The whole miracle came as a direct result of Jesus’ heart being moved “with pity for them.” He saw that they were lost, needing some love and attention and direction. Out of love, Jesus began to teach them and, only after attending to their spiritual needs, did He nourish their physical hunger in the form of a miracle. All out of love. 

So, whether or not we have been able to acknowledge and receive love here on earth, we can rest in knowing the depth of our Heavenly Father’s love – a love that sent His Son for our salvation and a love that will nourish our bodies and souls.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of 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 uses 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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An Open Door

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Waiting. Anticipation. Hope.

We have arrived at the doorstep of Christmas. This afternoon, many of us will depart our houses, hands laden with all the makings of a celebration: gifts, food, cookies, perhaps a bottle of wine and more. Thus, the festivities begin and will last for a day or two, possibly three, after which we will return to our everyday lives.

However, we also arrive at the doorstep of something more: a wonderful and glorious celebration of the Nativity of the Lord, which begins the true Christmas season. Before we depart for our family Christmas celebrations, we will head over to our local churches and herald the arrival of the Lord Jesus.

If all we see, though, is the full churches, nativity scenes, and Christmas decorations, we’ve missed the point. Christmas doesn’t just stop on December 25th. Nor does Advent stop on December 24th. It’s an attitude that should last in our minds and hearts all year round.

Today’s Gospel reading leaves us with a great reminder to carry these Advent attitudes forward. Zechariah makes this beautiful proclamation and prophesy at a most joyful time in his life: the birth of his own son, John the Baptist. He speaks on themes of redemption, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, and peace. All of these themes provide great hope for anyone but especially for the Israelites who have endured great suffering at the hands of many as we have seen in the Old Testament. The anxiously awaited Messiah would deliver them from all of their trials. Little did they know what Christ, the anointed one, would do for them.

Redemption and mercy is usually the theme of the Easter season, where we celebrate Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection that reconciled the world back with the Heavenly Father. There is nothing more full of hope than the salvation we have through Jesus. From the moment of His birth, all that He is and all that He did pointed toward this saving moment. The hope of Christmas reflects the hope of Easter.

Really, there is no reason that we shouldn’t celebrate Advent hope and longing deep in our hearts all season long. I urge you to not leave these attitudes behind when you close the door on your way to Christmas Mass. See how hope and longing can transform your life and your relationship with Christ.

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of 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 uses 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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Receive Rest

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“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”

One simple Gospel verse with so much hope and longing. A perfect Gospel verse for Advent. A Gospel verse that speaks to the depth of my heart right now and hopefully one that will do the same for you. Let’s break it down. 

Come to me: we have to seek the Lord. He extends the invitation to us, but He never forces our hand. God desires for us to come to Him, just like He came to us in the person of His Son Jesus, but He will not take free will away from us. We have to take the step to meet Him. 

All you who labor and are burdened: God’s invitation is for all, not just a select few faithful followers. We all labor – in our mission of proclaiming the kingdom of God here on earth, in the day-to-day work of our careers, and in living out our vocations of single, married, priests or religious. It’s not easy, and, in our labor, we encounter many difficulties and sufferings that burden us. These burdens can take many different forms. We have natural evil and suffering like illnesses, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. Then we also have moral evil and suffering that is caused by sins such as violence, cruelty, and hatred. And STILL, God invites all of us and our mess to come to Him. 

And I will give you rest: With all of our work and all of our burdens, we need rest. We think we can find rest in the things of this world: in money, clothes, food, relationships (both friendships and romantic relationships) and more. But, ultimately, all of those things will fall short as they only provide short-term happiness. We still desire something more. The root of our happiness, the root of all of our desires, is in God alone. In God, we find the peace and comfort that will fill our hearts and our cups to overflowing. 

Our longing is for God, and our hope is for the rest that calms our labor and our suffering. These themes and this particular Gospel verse extend way past Advent. This hope and this longing will last for the rest of our lives.

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Erin 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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A Lenten Approach To Advent

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I am intrigued by the readings leading up to the First Sunday of Advent. After celebrating the Solemnity of Christ the King, in which we hear the Gospel taking place at the crucifixion, the Gospels this week continue with a theme of destruction, persecution, desolation, and other heavy, dark images.

But Advent is a time of hope. A time of light and joy awaiting the birth of the Savior, Jesus. Why would this week leading up to Advent be in such stark contrast? Isn’t that more geared toward the season of Lent?

Let us remember the reason why God became man, why Jesus came into the world. Adam and Eve were living in the state of original holiness, walking alongside God in the Garden of Eden. Created with free will, they failed to trust God and made a choice that led to the state of original sin instead. Humanity fell into sin and darkness, the consequences of which are death. Our relationship with God was broken, shattered, severed. There was no way we could reestablish this relationship on our own.

Wanting to reconcile man and woman, who were created in His image and likeness (Gen 1:27), God sent His only Son into the mess and chaos. Not only did Jesus show us how to live, but He also embraced death so that we wouldn’t have to. Through His death and resurrection, the gates of heaven opened, and humanity is invited back into relationship with God.

You see, the hope of the resurrection begins with the hope at the Nativity, for which Advent prepares us. And there is no resurrection without there first being death. It is important to remember that connection as we enter this preparatory season. So as we prepare our hearts for the coming of the Lord Jesus at Christmas, may we always keep darkness in mind, for darkness is where light enters the world.

(Side note: I hope the line in the first reading “gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords” gets everyone in the mood for tomorrow. Many prayers and blessings to all of you as you gather around the table for Thanksgiving with your loved ones, and may we carry this attitude of gratitude all through the coming liturgical season. However, may we also never forget those who go without on Thanksgiving and all days and heed the call to serve the poor.)

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Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of 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 uses 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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Worthy of Mercy

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Today’s readings have a little bit of a heavier hand, with a lot of focus on sin and temptation and the ramifications. Hearing the line, “It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neck and he be thrown into the sea than for him to cause one of these little ones to sin,” always makes me stop and take pause, especially now working in youth ministry. I’m always questioning myself, “Am I leading these kids astray?”

Listen, nobody likes talking about sin. It is difficult for us, as humans, to admit our failings and our shortcomings on a very basic level. It is even more difficult when they are put in the spiritual context, in the presence of our Heavenly Father, a Father that is so good and so loving, so kind and so merciful, none of which we actually deserve in our sinful state. 

But there’s another kind of hurt, another kind of pain, when we lead another into sin as well. Usually, it’s the result of our own sin and, sometimes, we can be so caught up in it that we fail to see the harm that we’ve caused. But, when we are aware of our own actions, the guilt that accompanies can be overwhelming. 

Instead of pain, what’s offered to us is mercy. I feel like a heart emoji should follow that word. Or maybe a crying face emoji. 

God’s heart is so full of love for us, a depth that we could never imagine. Although original sin separated mankind from a life lived with God, He sent His only Son to reconcile us, His sons and daughters, to Himself, because He didn’t want to live without us. 

Sin threatens our relationship with God, tries to separate us from Him. However, we have the opportunity to right our relationship with Him through the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation. 

And, yes, if we struggle to admit our faults to our families, friends, and even strangers on the street, it is ten times more difficult to confess our sins to a priest who is acting in persona Christi. It is tough to tell our perfect Father all the ways we have failed to be perfect and whole. But, my brothers and sisters, it is so, so worth it. 

When you give your sins over to the Lord, and He pours out His mercy upon you, it is the most incredible, freeing feeling. People often describe walking out of the confessional as walking on a cloud, uplifting, glowing, and many other comforting terms. 

That’s what Jesus wants to do – to give us comfort and peace. I pray that we can answer that call, to walk boldly into the confessional, leave our sins behind and accept His mercy and forgiveness.

Contact the author

Erin is a Cleveland native and graduate of 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.