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Seeking The Good

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“I think there is far too much talk about sin and not enough about virtue.” -The Priest from the movie Calvary

How would you like to be compared to an old loin cloth rotting away in a desert under a rock? In today’s first reading we see God comparing the rot of an old loin cloth with the rot of the pridefulness of the people of Judah. Not a great comparison from anyone, much less God Himself.

I recently had an idea to start something called “out of context bible verses” where I would pick a strange verse from the bible and distribute it with no explanation of where or why it was said. Here we have one that would work; “Go buy yourself a linen loincloth;
wear it on your loins, but do not put it in water.”

All joking aside though, the wicked people in this passage refused to obey the words of God, they walked with stubbornness in their hearts, and they worshiped false gods. But before all of these sins were committed God says that he clung to His people but they did not listen.

Later in the Psalm we hear, “You have forgotten God who gave you birth.” Throughout these rich readings we see a theme of the people of God ceasing to search for God. They think they can do everything on their own and that rotten loin cloth pride takes over and they get in all sorts of trouble.

It would be easy to focus on the sins in these verses, but rather I want to focus on this idea of no longer seeking out God. A basic definition of virtue is to seek the good. I have been reading a lot about virtue lately and I have realized that it is easy to focus on how not to live instead of actually focusing on how we should be living. To hyper focus on avoiding sin and not focus so much on living in the truth.

This has been a huge step for me in my spiritual life. If we stop seeking the good, then we will stop living towards the standard of that same good. I would take this so far as to say that before any sin is committed, first virtue is rejected. If sin truly is a lack of something, then the thing lacking is goodness.

I think for me it is easier to focus on sin because it’s easier to just say that I should not do this or that thing. It is much harder to love the people that bug me, to go out of my way for the poor or marginalized, to sacrifice my time and money for the well-being of others.

Pope Francis in his new apostolic exhortation says, “Just as you cannot understand Christ apart from the kingdom he came to bring, so too your personal mission is inseparable from the building of that kingdom: “Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Mt 6:33). Your identification with Christ and his will involves a commitment to build with him that kingdom of love, justice and universal peace. Christ himself wants to experience this with you, in all the efforts and sacrifices that it entails, but also in all the joy and enrichment it brings. You cannot grow in holiness without committing yourself, body and soul, to giving your best to this endeavor.”

This is a call to true virtue. A call to come outside of ourselves and instead of hyper focusing on sin, focusing instead on our mission to love, a mission that will bring us the true joy we seek.

Pope Francis goes on to say, “Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when he created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self. To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity. We see this in Saint Josephine Bakhita: Abducted and sold into slavery at the tender age of seven, she suffered much at the hands of cruel masters. But she came to understand the profound truth that God, and not man, is the true Master of every human being, of every human life. This experience became a source of great wisdom for this humble daughter of Africa”

Let us take a lesson today from Pope Francis, from Saint Josephine Bakhita, and of course from the Word of God. This week I am going to try to live my life constantly seeking the good instead of letting the fear of sin be my motivation. Let us all ask for this grace. Amen!

Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

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Let Your Gifts Be Multiplied

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How often do we find ourselves feeling as though we have nothing to offer, that the call God has for us is impossible because of all that we lack in our humanness? I find myself in this state often, doubting my ability to live up to the vocation that God calls me to. How can I possibly love others in my life if I have a hard time loving myself, and how can I take care of others when I so often struggle to take care of myself?

All of these doubts melt away when I read the Gospel for today. We see the power of God to make something out of essentially nothing when Jesus takes the minimal loaves and fishes the Apostles provide Him with to feed the 5,000 people that came to Him on the mountain. If God can do this and so many other miracles, and with unlimited power, how can we doubt all of the miracles that He can and wants to perform through us?

With my OCD comes a great anxiety of the future. While I know God has beautiful plans ahead for me I can often find myself in fear, and the root of my fear is obsessions regarding thoughts of failure. I am so excited to get married in two months, and I know my fiancé is my best friend that will be on this crazy journey of life with me as we pursue God’s will. Any fear I have stems from the unknown and my past weaknesses. Will I be able to take care of my husband as he needs and as God calls me? Will we be able to provide for the little ones that we pray God blesses us with, providing for all of their basic needs and for the dreams they will grow to hold for their lives?Loving other souls is such a great responsibility, and I worry about being able to be the best wife and mom, often comparing myself with others and my weaknesses.

While I often ponder these questions my fiancé reassures me of how well I love him and how God will give us the graces we need if and when we are blessed with children. Within this answer lies the key to the storms in my heart being calmed: God will equip myself and my fiancé through the graces of the Sacrament of marriage to be able to love one another and any future children He may bless us with. In Scripture we can see many called by God that felt unworthy to take up the mission God gave to them because of their weaknesses, but the pattern we continue to see is God equips those that are called, rather than calling those that are already equipped.  

In our weaknesses we can further lean on the Lord and rely upon Him. He is our Father and He will raise us up to answer the call to love that He has asked of us. All we need is a willing heart and to trust that any anxiety that creates a storm in our hearts will be soothed by the graces God provides. When we place all of our trust in God and let Him multiply the gifts He has already given us, in combination with Him providing us with additional gifts along the journey, we can truly become who we were born to become on our journey to sainthood.

I encourage you to trust in our Lord: trust in the beautiful plans He has for your life, offer all of your anxiety to Him, and wait in joyful anticipation as He continues to multiply the gifts you possess (even gifts you may not be aware of yet). He greatly desires to perform miracles in and through you, and all He asks is that you lay your life down at His feet so that you can be His hands and feet to those He places in your life. Be encouraged to know that God is going to work through you in beautiful ways, giving you everything that you need to love others with wherever He has you in life.  Just like the loaves and fishes, let Christ make things new through you: let your gifts be multiplied.

 

“Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.”

St. Augustine

“Do not forget that when the Lord calls, He also provides the necessary strength and grace to answer His call.”

St. John Paul II

 

Nathalie Hanson is a special education teacher and a joyful convert to the Catholic faith with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).  She loves to share her passion for Catholicism with others, including her conversion story and how God continues to work miracles in her life through her OCD.  Nathalie is engaged to her best friend, Diocesan’s Tommy Shultz, and she is beyond excited to become Mrs. Shultz this October. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at rodzinkaministry@gmail.com.

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Harvesting Weeds and Wheat

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In Dante’s Inferno, he passes through the gates of hell above which are inscribed these words, “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.” That’s almost the situation we find in today’s first reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 7:1-11).

Jeremiah has been tasked by the Lord God to stand at the gates of the Temple and remind the faithful of what God expects of them if they seek to remain his Chosen People and enjoy the benefits of a covenant relationship with him. Through Jeremiah we hear the Lord chastising the people, accusing them of injustice, idolatry, hard-heartedness toward the “resident alien, the orphan and the widow,” deceit, adultery, perjury… These have become common and accepted practices among the one-time faithful, and yet they still show up at the Temple thinking that their sinful actions are overlooked or ignored by God. “We are safe; we can commit all these abominations again,” is the excuse they offer to themselves. “At least,” perhaps they think, “we’re keeping up with our Sabbath obligation.”

The Chosen People have rejected the covenant relationship God offered to them exclusively: “And you shall be my people, and I will be your God” (Exodus 6:7, Leviticus 26:12, Jeremiah 30:22). In essence, a relationship is a two-way street. We keep up our end of the relationship and God more than keeps up with his part of it.

Repentance, however, puts us back in right relationship with God. In the Gospel (Matthew 13:24-30) Jesus tells the parable of the field sown with good seed that gets sabotaged by an enemy of the landowner. The weeds are allowed to grow alongside the wheat, and both are harvested together. But, Jesus teaches us, the weeds are tied in bundles for burning (i.e., destined for hell), while the wheat is gathered into the barn (i.e., heaven).

The list of sins Jeremiah accuses the people of can make for a good examination of conscience for us. These are the weeds that need to be pulled from our field and burned so that we stop deluding ourselves into believing we are bearing good fruit for the Kingdom.

Father Tim S. Hickey is a priest of the Archdiocese of Hartford currently serving as a mission priest in the Diocese of Dodge City, Kansas. A native Kansan, he was schooled at Benedictine College, Marquette University and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary. Prior to becoming a priest, Father Hickey was editor of Columbia magazine for the Knights of Columbus. He writes occasionally for Magnificat’s seasonal special issues and for Communion and Liberation.

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Shepherds After My Own Heart

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“I will appoint over you shepherds after my own heart, who will shepherd you wisely and prudently.” Jer 3:15  

Today’s readings are full of imagery: rebellious children, shepherds after my own heart, the Lord guarding us as a shepherd guards his flock. I will turn their mourning into joy. Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance. The parable of the sower. So much wisdom, insight and beauty packed into 13 lines of scripture. That’s what keeps drawing me back to the scriptures; I can read a few verses that are very pertinent to my life in that moment. When I pick up the same verses either later that day, or the next year, the verses will not strike me in the same way it had before. (If you’ve not started using pencil in your bible to underline the verse or word that jumps out at you, I highly recommend it). Put a thin notebook in with your bible to jot down any insights, thoughts or phrases going through your mind as you reflect on the scripture verses. Yes, read them to yourself or out loud, and yes, more than once. Sit with whatever has caught your attention for a few minutes.This is a type of lectio divina.

What kept popping up to me as I read and listened to the Word was the good shepherd, who has kept the word with a generous heart, yielding a harvest through perseverance. Jesus Christ is the ultimate Good Shepherd, but who have been the shepherds on your own journey? The individual among the other sheep, who by his or her own perseverance of listening to the word, has invited or nudged you to follow the Lord?

Deacon Dean at my parish, is a wonderful homilist. Deacon Dean is a sheep of the flock, just like you and I. He perseveres in his service to the Lord through his prayer and leads through his daily practices and commitments in his life. He breaks open the Word through his own life struggles and prayer. My pastor has been sitting with Deacon’s Sunday homily all this week and sharing where his prayer has lead him during the daily homilies.  Both my pastor and deacon are shepherds (and sheep) whom I trust and follow. There are many members of my Franciscan fraternity, family and friends, authors and other leaders whose voices I trust and follow.

There are many people whose call I do not respond to as they represent a seed sown among thorns to me, as it seems “worldly anxiety and the lure of riches choke out the word and bears no fruit” (Mt 13:22). For me, they may have had the “evil one steal away what had been sown in their hearts” and now do not hear the Good Shepherd’s voice in the word or world around them (Mt 13:19). I personally feel called to pray for all those who have this happen in their lives, and for the times when it has happened in my own. Pray with me, that the good shepherd open my eyes, ears and heart to follow the right leaders and path to the Lord.

Beth Price is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and spiritual director who has worked in several parish ministry roles during the last 20 years. She is a proud mother of 3 adult children. Beth currently works at Diocesan. You can contact her at bprice@diocesan.com

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Parables Of Truth

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Have you ever had a conversation with someone who was unable to see what seemed so obvious to you? This can be a frustrating experience. One way to open their eyes is to offer them a chance to accept an idea and THEN apply it to the current situation; you might hold out a different example to help them see what you see. This is what Jesus does in his parables.

In today’s Gospel, the disciples ask Jesus about this. He has just spoken to the crowd about the seed and the sower, and the disciples ask him why he speaks to them in parables. Jesus answers that many cannot see or hear the full truth because of their stubborn hearts. He further reveals that when we let go of our stubbornness and are freely open to the truth, we receive more and more, so that we are rich in grace and truth!

The thing to keep in mind is that Jesus never runs out of ways to communicate truth to us. The infinite creativity of God and the unfathomable mercy of God mean that we are given chance after chance, opportunity after opportunity, to begin anew to open ourselves fully so that we can see and hear what the Lord is communicating to us. He keeps teaching, keeps saving, keeps forgiving, keeps loving. Our blindness and deafness are no obstacle for Him; only our willfulness and stubborn selfishness can keep His light from shining for us, in us, through us.

We can’t out-run his merciful love. We can’t out-sin His loving mercy.

Let’s begin anew right now. Let’s ask the Lord to show us where we have neglected to open ourselves to Him, and then ask for the grace to let go of all that keeps us in darkness. And then, let’s boldly ask the Lord to shine the light of his truth and grace in every darkened corner so that we are at last his true disciples.

Kathryn is married to Robert, mother of seven, grandmother to two, and a lay Carmelite. She has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and also as a writer and voice talent for Holy Family Radio. Currently, she serves the Church as a writer and presenter, and by collaborating with the diocesan Office of Faith Formation, individual parishes, and Catholic ministries to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Learn more at www.kathryntherese.com or on Facebook @summapax.

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Do The Right Thing

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“They’ll do the right thing if I have to drag them kicking and screaming all the way!” Ever said anything like this? I know I have and if you are like me, we are in good company with St. James whose feast day is today. James and John (in Matthew, it is their mother who approaches Jesus; in Mark, it is the brothers themselves) desire to be at the left and right hands of Jesus; the positions of power for those who know the King. They are looking to be in the positions of authority when Jesus comes into his kingdom. A clue to how they see using that authority, comes in St. Luke’s Gospel, when the Samaritans did not welcome Jesus, James and John ask Jesus if he wanted them to call “fire down from heaven to consume them.”

This phrase, “if I have to drag them kicking and screaming,” came up in an argument with someone I admire and respect recently. We were having a rather heated discussion about how to lead a team to “do the right thing.” Our goal was admirable. We were discussing a plan for how to become more open, to go out of our comfort zone to reach out to others.

But somehow, for all our good intentions, we got lost. I mean really lost. The Good Lord knows I have used this exact same phrase more than a few times in my years as a school or parish leader. But somehow hearing it in this context shocked me as surely as if I had touched a live electrical wire. Within 2 days, someone else made a very similar comment to me about bringing people along, even against their wishes. I get it, I have been so sure that I knew the right solution that I just had to get others to see it my way to make it all work out. Just follow my plan and all will be well.

The Samaritans reject Jesus, so James and John plan to rain fire from heaven to make them change their minds and accept Jesus.

Jesus rebuked them and today’s reading rebukes those of us who attempt to use power or authority to overpower others. Jesus shows us that true leadership is humble. The purpose of leadership is to serve. Leaders who follow Jesus must first strive to be servants. Leaders who follow Jesus are not to impose their will on others, but to create opportunities for others to encounter our living God and to find their purpose in serving His will.

We humans, leaders included, are earthen vessels. We are fragile, afflicted, perplexed and persecuted. And that is a good thing! It is precisely because of our fragile, afflicted, perplexed, and persecuted state that God can be glorified. “Indeed, everything is for you, so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”

Of all of today’s readings, it is the Gospel Acclamation that pierced my heart. “I chose you from the world, to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.”

Whatever my plans are, it is God’s plan that will bear fruit that will last.

Even when we find ourselves in a leadership position, God’s plan is for us to be servants. In order to serve Him, we must serve one another. In order to serve Him, we must serve those who look to us for leadership, we must serve those who lead us and we must even serve those with whom we flat out disagree. This is certainly antithetical to how the world views leadership. James and John were looking for power in the kingdom they thought was to come. Jesus shows us that his kingdom is already here and he has chosen us to go forth into the kingdom and bear fruit through humility and charity.

Heavenly Father, Please send your Holy Spirit to inspire me to lead with humility, to remember in order for my plans to bear fruit, my plans must be your plans, and your plans always include serving first. Help me to do, not just the right thing, but to do your thing. Amen. Glory to God.

While wearing many hats, Sheryl O’Connor is the wife and study buddy of Thomas O’Connor. Not having received the gift of having their own children, their home is filled with 2 large dogs and their hearts with the teens and youth with whom they work in their parish collaborative. Sheryl is the Director of Strong Families Programs for Holy Family Healthcare which means her job is doing whatever needs to be done to help parents build strong Catholic families. Inspired by the works of mercy, Holy Family Healthcare is a primary healthcare practice in West Michigan which seeks to honor the dignity of every individual as we would Christ. Find out more at https://www.holyfamilyhealthcare.org/

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The Good Shepherd

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“Shepherd your people with your staff…” As I read these initial words of today’s first reading I recall one of my favorite images of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. I love looking at the sheep all around Him, each with their own attitude and personality. A newborn lamb is perched precariously on His shoulders, so proud of the fact that he was the one chosen to be held by the Lord. Another walks in front of Jesus, head held high as if leading the way. Another walks meekly alongside Him, just content to be close to Him. Another looks up at Him trying to gauge what He’s thinking. Another looks to the side, constantly aware of his surroundings in his attempt to protect Jesus. Yet another trails behind with his nose to the ground, just following the crowd, apparently not even realizing he is in the presence of the Master.

As I amuse myself musing over the sheep, I realize that we, His flock, are not much different. Some of us are proud, others confident, others meek, others curious, others protective, and others clueless.  We are all so different, yet we are all so loved.

As the middle child of a large Catholic family, I often sought individualized attention from my parents, wanting to be the “special” one. I worked hard to get good grades in order to earn their approval. I helped my dad with projects around the house to earn his praise. I wanted to be good at everything I did. Perhaps I longed to be that baby lamb held on the Lord’s shoulders, thinking this was the best place to be, the place for the privileged or the “especially loved”.

I’m pretty sure we all long to be loved this way, many Gospel stories sure seem to confirm it, but the good news is that in Christ, we all can! In fact, Jesus speaks to this in today’s Gospel.

“Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?” And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers.” (Matthew 12: 48-49)

He confirms that not only one person has the privilege of that close mother-son relationship, nor do only a handful enjoy the tight-knit friendship of brotherhood.  As long as we are doing His will, we can all have that closeness, that intimacy. In God, each of us is truly and individually treasured and loved in the way our heart desires. So maybe I am that special baby lamb after all, and so are you!

Tami Urcia is wife and mother to her small army of boys. She works full time at Diocesan and is a freelance translator and blogger (BlessedIsshe.net and CatholicMom.com) She loves tackling home projects, keeping tabs on the family finances, and finding unique ways to love. Tami spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree. Her favorite things to do are spending time outside with the kiddos, quiet conversation with the hubby, and an occasional break from real life by getting a pedicure or a haircut. You can find out more about her here.

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Contemplative Prayer In An Impatient Culture

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“Some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.’ He said to them in reply, ‘An evil and unfaithful generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah the prophet.'” Matthew 12:38-39

Have you ever finished a time of prayer and realized that all you did the entire time was ask God for things? And maybe even worse than that, you didn’t have the faith that it would really happen. I know I have struggled with this a lot in my prayer life. The Scribes and Pharisees struggled with this today in the Gospel.

Petition is an important form of prayer, but the Catechism outlines five total forms of prayer that we should be aware of to draw closer to Christ.

These forms are adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, and praise. I am going to try this week to focus more on contemplative prayer which involves adoration. Just sitting before God and adoring Him because He is. Let’s ask for this grace together. Amen.

Tommy Shultz is a Solutions Evangelist for Diocesan. In that role, he is committed to coaching parishes and dioceses on authentic and effective Catholic communication. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. Contact him at tshultz@diocesan.com.

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For His Name’s Sake

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The Lord is my Shepherd… but sometimes I wonder what He wants. And why He is leading me where He is. In late 2015, life was good. My relationships were good, my professional life was ok; things were generally stable.

“for his name’s sake.”

And then God prompts, “You need to get tattoos.” That sounded like the stupidest thing I could have done; particularly because my relationship with my parents, which was previously rocky, was then harmonious. They don’t care for tattoos, so it didn’t make any sense in my mind to get them. But God kept pressing me until one day I finally found myself in a tattoo parlor.

“for his name’s sake.”

Flash-forward a couple of months; I got my second tattoo which is the ninth station of the cross. It is placed on my inner left forearm. I put it there so people will see it! When you first get a tattoo, you’re excited about it and can’t stop looking at it. But then after a while it is easy to forget about. There have been a number of occasions where I was sitting casually resting my arm (and unintentionally showing my tattoo) when people would see it and assume I was a person of faith (which they are right). Each time, I ended up having an edifying conversation with them about life, faith and the Church simply because they saw my ink.

“for his name’s sake.”

Never would I have assumed that tattoos could be a bridge for a relationship and present an opportunity for evangelizing.

Go where He leads you.

“for his name’s sake.”

During the week, Matthew Juliano is a mentor for individuals who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. On the weekends, he is a drummer for Full Armor Band. You can find more content by Matt and his band at www.fullarmorband.com.

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Hope In A Name

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“And in his name the Gentiles will hope.” – Matthew 12:21

“I plead with you! Never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” – St. John Paul II

Hope is defined in the Oxford Dictionary as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen”, “a person or thing that may help save someone”, and “grounds for believing that something good may happen”. Within these definitions we can see the Creator in each and every one of them. Christ’s resurrection gives us a desire for His return and our full union with the Lord in the Kingdom. Christ was sent by the Father to save us through His love and the gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s promises provide us with the grounds for trusting that He will come for us and that we are called to eternity with Him. Even amidst the gift of Christ’s sacrifice, all of these witnesses of God’s love through the Trinity, and the promises that God keeps and will continue to keep it can be difficult to keep hope in sight.

The past few years have been a crazy ride. My life has drastically changed for the better, and has been full of great excitement. Although God has done and continues to provide such great blessings in my life (and the lives of those around me) I can feel a loss of hope in the small daily moments due to life’s struggles. It can be difficult for me to keep in mind all of the blessings when something tough in life comes my way, in which I feel as though I am being robbed of hope and joy.

I have such a gift in the fact that God brought me home to the Catholic Church over three years ago, as I now know I can continue to call upon the name of Jesus to maintain my hope and joy in this life. While the Lord has brought many great gifts into my life, I often feel hopeless in that I am unsure if I can handle it all. Marriage in October to my best friend is one of the joys that God has called me to as I live out my vocation to love. Teaching special education is an additional way He calls me to love His children. For the next two years I will be enrolled in graduate school to further my teaching skills to better support my kiddos in the classroom, hoping to foster independence for each of them by God pouring love upon them through me.  

While at times I may feel overwhelmed by my desire to grow in love for all of the people in my life, at times feeling as though I am not equipped to handle it all, calling upon the name of Jesus brings hope in many ways: the unconditional love and friendship of my fiancé, the positive relationships built with my students, and the support of many loved ones. Ultimately the name of Jesus whispers hope to my soul. Amidst the craziness of life, including the joys and the sorrows, I am reminded of God’s continual presence in my life when His name crosses my heart throughout the little moments of each day.

I encourage you to call upon the name of Jesus. When you feel a need to pray, but don’t have the words, say His name and trust in the hope that He promises with His peace and love. Be encouraged that He has you right where you should be, that His plans for your life are perfect, and that these times are helping you to grow in trust of His love and in hope of His promises.

Nathalie Hanson is a special education teacher and a joyful convert to the Catholic faith with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).  She loves to share her passion for Catholicism with others, including her conversion story and how God continues to work miracles in her life through her OCD.  Nathalie is engaged to her best friend, Diocesan’s Tommy Shultz, and she is beyond excited to become Mrs. Shultz this October. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at rodzinkaministry@gmail.com.

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I Know This Place – I’m Home

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Have you ever contemplated your death? Sat quietly and wondered what it would be like? I have. I have had thoughts of missing my life here on earth; thoughts of missing those I love. I’ve even thought about not being with my Sophie — she’s my cat! How human of me, so entrenched in this life that I often forget that beyond this life is something far better, far more beautiful; that the “missing” will not be there. After all, I’ll be in the presence of God. There will be no missing of anything, no further questions to be asked or answered. Just pure joy!

Isaiah tells us today of Hezekiah’s impending death. Hezekiah was scared and so afraid of dying and felt abandoned by God after his life of faithfulness to God.  When he was told he would die, he turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly! God heard his prayer and intervened and spared his life – this time.  We know that someday Hezekiah would die, as must we.

It is natural to be a little scared of death. We don’t know how or where it will happen. What we do know is, as faithful Christians, where we are going. We are all going to be with the God who conceived of our existence from the time of creation and longs to have us back with him.  This is the great promise of Jesus, confirmed by his Resurrection.

But here’s where the speculation comes in. What will heaven be like? Have you ever wondered, while thinking about the next evolution of your existence – earthly life to heavenly life? How often have you heard someone say “heaven will be like the best golf course, ever! And I can play all I want”.  Or “I’ll be able to see all my favorite football games, with the best seat ever!”.  I’ve heard many more. It makes for a good chuckle because we don’t know and have not the capacity to even imagine the glory of heaven.

We have had glimpses of heaven, however, whether we recognize them or not: the birth of a child; laughter of children at play; looking into the yes of someone you love; the gentle touch of a hospice nurse; the wrinkled face of an old one, aged with faith and grace; the unconditional love of the pet who calms and comforts us; the gatherings of family and friendships shared; the tears of sorrow and the laughter of joy; random acts of kindness by strangers;  the splendor of creation that surrounds us; the beauty of the Liturgy and the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Yes, we’ve glimpsed heaven many times, in God’s way of preparing us to go home. A little simplistic? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Listen to the words of the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago, from his book The Gift of Peace:

“Many people have asked me to tell them about heaven and the afterlife. I sometimes smile at the request because I do not know any more than they do. Yet, when one young man asked if I looked forward to being united with God and all those who have gone before me, I made a connection to something I said earlier in this book. The first time I traveled with my mother and sister to my parents’ homeland of Tonadico di Primiero, in northern Italy, I felt as if I had been here before. After years of looking through my mother’s photo albums, I knew the mountains, the land, the houses, the people. As soon as we entered the valley I said, “My God, I know this place. I am home”. Somehow I think crossing from this life into eternal life will be similar. I will be home.”

God Bless.

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

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The Comfort Of His Sacred Heart: Rest

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Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew tells us the inner comfort of the heart of God. When I read Jesus’ words, “My yoke is easy, and my burden light”, I couldn’t help but chuckle.  Jesus’ words are in no way funny, but this Gospel passage always reminds me that when I was a child I did not understand it correctly. I thought Jesus was describing Himself as an egg! An egg you can scramble or enjoy over- easy.  No one ever explained to me the difference between “yoke” and “yolk”.

 

Although eggs are a great source of protein given to us by God, Jesus is talking about a “yoke”.  A yoke is defined by the Webster dictionary as, “a bar or frame that is attached to the heads or necks of two work animals (such as oxen) so that they can pull a plow or heavy load”.  Jesus gave these analogies to the Jewish people during this time because they automatically knew what he was referring to.  They could visualize this yoke as it meant work.  Yokes placed upon animals were heavy and burdensome.  It’s interesting that something that has to do so much with labor is used by Jesus to explain the rest He desires to give us.

 

First and foremost, Jesus tells us to come to Him. This requires an action of opening our hearts and to genuinely seek Him, to come into His presence. He wants to give all those who are overworked and overtired a time of rest. He wants us to stop from the crazy busy schedules and errands. He knows that we need rest. His yoke is not one of more work. A relationship with Him is not another errand or duty to mark off our checklists.  It is a relationship of love that comforts, restores, and rejuvenates.

 

This passage in its simplicity is a comfort to me.  Jesus speaks to us of rest and if you’re like me- we automatically desire to receive it. We’re tired. We want a break. We want some rest.  The heart of God is meek and humble. He has a heart that is not burdensome or destructive. His heart is a place of comfort, a place of rest.  His Sacred Heart wants you to come and rest with Him today. Snuggle up in His Sacred Heart today. He wants to give you His heart and His rest just as much as you want to receive it.

Briana is a Catholic Doctrine teacher at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel school in Cleveland, OH. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theology and Catechetics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH and is excited to use these skills to bring her students closer to Christ and His Church. “My soul has been refined and I can raise my head like a flower after a storm.” -St. Therese