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Moved with Pity

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“When He disembarked and saw the vast crowd, His heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.” Mark 6:34

As humans we are called to greatness, to sainthood. How often do we look around during our journey at the needs of others? I know it is really hard for me to slow down, so I can struggle with being attentive to others and just being with them where they are at (especially when I am facing my own struggles). With my anxiety it is hard to slow down the thoughts in my head and take in my surroundings, no matter how hard I try to slow down those thoughts and focus on the person in front of me.

Today’s Gospel reminds us that it is so important to look outward rather than just looking inward at ourselves. We are called to love God and love our neighbors, and we live like Christ when we serve others. When Jesus gets off the boat He sees all the people that are waiting for Him, and He is “moved with pity for them”. He knows their hearts, that they are lost and in need of a Savior. Jesus could have waited to begin serving the people, taking a break from all of his own tasks and traveling, but He chose love first and foremost. He put the needs of others before His own and met them where they were at. He chose others before Himself for His entire life, on the Cross, and continues to love us first today.

While it is important to take care of ourselves, for we truly can’t serve others if we don’t receive the faith ourselves, we must share the gifts God gives us with those around us. In a world where it is the easy road to look down rather than around, let us be the light on a hill, true Christians that reach out to our brothers and sisters with selfless hearts. Not only will God share His love with them through you, but you will also be filled with the joy of Christ through this genuine gift of self.

“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” C.S. Lewis

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Nathalie Shultz is 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. She is a high school special education teacher, and she is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at nathalie.e.shultz@gmail.com.

Feature Image Credit:  Catholic link Español, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/6226-misericordia

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There is Nothing I Shall Want

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Desire: it can often be geared towards holy and beautiful things, but how often do our desires become absorbed in the culture around us? Do we let the world convince us of what should be most important? My anxiety spirals as I ponder my own life in comparison to that of others. I get lost in thought and before I know it I have lost sight of God’s love and goodness, and all the blessings He has provided in my life amidst all circumstances.

Since the Fall, doubt has entered the human heart and led to sin. Sin occurs when we doubt God: instead of trusting the Father we try to take control. Doubt and lack of trust in God causes us to search for happiness, something that is fleeting. Joy in the Lord is a constant, no matter where we are in the journey of life. Doubt, comparison, and coveting steal this joy that God intends to freely share with us.

How can we combat this comparison and coveting that we experience to live in true freedom in God? There are several ways that can provide peace and comfort when these anxious thoughts seem to attack the heart. Time with Jesus in Adoration is a significant means of offering these doubts to Christ, laying them at His feet. The Litany of Humility is another way of taking time to be with God and putting Him first. Also, meditating upon the experiences of the saints gives us a great perspective of how Christ can and will help us overcome. Finally, accepting our failings and bringing them to God throughout the day in the ordinary moments can lead to deeper trust and intimacy with the Lord. When we recognize we are nothing without God it helps us to shift our perspective to what really matters. 

Intimacy with Christ in Adoration, prayer, and communion with the saints lead to a strengthening of our joy, an increase in devotion to Him that is the source and summit of our faith. When we make the conscious choice to ask for God’s help in putting Him first, He will answer. Trust and have joy, brothers and sisters!

“If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.” C.S. Lewis

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at rodzinkaministry@gmail.com.

Feature Image Credit:  Exe Lobaiza, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/3484-santisimo-sacramento-

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It’s a Relationship, Not a To-Do List

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There are so many beautiful components to our faith. We have Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition, the teachings of which Christ has given us to continue living the faith while we wait for His second coming. What a glorious day it will be to reunite with Him fully, to walk side by side with Him for eternity.

With all of the holy components of our faith that we have been given, including devotions that have been passed on to new generations over the years, I can honestly say that I can get overwhelmed knowing how God is calling me to spend time with Him. Of course the Holy Mass and Sacred Scripture are two key areas of our faith given by God that will help us to know Him more intimately, but the other devotions are optional (which can make finding a daily prayer routine tough to establish). Should I pray the rosary daily, the divine mercy chaplet, or the liturgy of the hours? Should I be doing all three of those things daily to grow in my relationship with Christ? How many chapters of Scripture should I be reading? Should I be engaging in more spontaneous prayer?

While all of these devotions are beautiful God calls each of us differently to Himself. By saying this I mean there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to our relationship with Jesus. He has created each of us unique in His image and likeness. He has known us before we were born and He knows our life story already. He knows us so intimately and loves us exactly for who we are, so we don’t need to compare ourselves to others or put ourselves down if we pray differently than someone else. For some individuals they can only pray one decade of the rosary with intentionality while others could pray five rosaries with the same level of intentionality throughout the extended time. Some people take 15 minutes to pray a rosary while others take almost an hour or more. Does this make one of these individuals more worthy in God’s eyes? Of course not – both individuals are equally and perfectly loved by God. He is pleased to spend intimate time with each of them, building relationships with them all. God has already won the battle, and there is nothing that we can do to make Him love us any differently – His love is perfect and complete for each of us.

When you feel overwhelmed by the devotions that our beautiful faith has to offer, or even find yourself comparing your prayer life to that of others, it is time to take a step back and sit in His presence. Be humble and ask Him to see your littleness, remembering that He loves you perfectly and only desires to be with you for you. Ask Him to show you how He is calling you to draw close to Him, whether it be more scripture, a rosary, or even spontaneous prayer.

We are not measured by the perfection of our prayer. God only desires to be with us, desires for us to love others as He has loved us, and ultimately desires for us to continue opening the door of our hearts to Him.  Our faith is not about checking off boxes of devotions we have to feel holy, but it is rather about choosing holiness when the going gets tough by leaning into our relationship with Christ with genuine intention.

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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Spiritual Desert

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If I can be completely honest I am facing a great time of spiritual dryness in my life. I have so many blessings and I know God is present in my life, and He always will be, but I feel so distant from Him. How do I draw closer to Him in these times of feeling down and out, of feeling like I don’t know my place or just a lack of inspiration to draw closer to Him?

I know we have all experienced times like these, including the saints. Mother Teresa is one of the saints infamously known for not feeling God’s presence for 50 years. She devoutly served Him and trusted His presence even though she experienced this dryness for decades.  I cannot imagine how much of a struggle this must have been for her, trying to serve individuals with great needs in Calcutta within the spiritual desert she found her soul in. Ultimately she knew God was with her and she had one key source that continued to keep her going – Jesus in the Eucharist.

Mother Teresa made it a priority to ensure that she and her sisters had time before Jesus in the Eucharist every single day.  The source and summit of our faith was the center of her ministry and provided her with the grace she needed to keep going, loving God and loving others with the love of Christ. The graces received from the Eucharist are beyond our human understanding.

At the end of the day, we can all learn from Mother Teresa. We must draw our strength from the Eucharist. Jesus is there waiting for us. Whether we visit Him in person or watch a live stream (I have one in Poland that I love to watch on Youtube) Jesus is with us and we are with Him. During these times of uncertainty, He wants to remain hopeful in Him, no matter where we are at on our spiritual journey. I feel as though I write often on struggle, anxiety, and spiritual dryness but I hope that this honest post will bring you hope. Know that you are not alone in the desert, Christ remains with us always (no matter if we feel distant from Him – He never leaves our side), and go forward with courage on the mission God has for you. Draw close to Him in the Eucharist, whether online or in-person and trust Him to be with you as you find your Calcutta.

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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Faith That Saves

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A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him and touched the tassel on his cloak. She said to herself, “If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured.” Jesus turned around and saw her, and said, “Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you.” And from that hour the woman was cured. – Matthew 9:20-22

Think of the cross(es) in your life that you desperately desire to have cured by the Lord. It may be a new cross or one that you have carried your entire life. I know for me it would have to be my OCD. Often I am very stressed about little things, change is abnormally difficult for me, and I obsess about certain thoughts or actions.  I feel as though I am a burden to those around me when I am going through rough patches on my journey with OCD.  

These crosses can be unbearable at times, becoming extremely heavy and making one lose hope. I have cried many times out of exhaustion – not being able to turn the OCD part of my brain off makes me feel worn down and self-conscious about myself. I often have a hard time seeing how God is working through this cross.

While I struggle to see God’s plan I can have complete faith that I have been given this cross of OCD for a reason – helping someone else, being more sensitive to how others are feeling, organization, etc.  Above all I need to realize that I don’t know why God has given me this cross but His ways are the best ways.  This realization is the foundation of a faith that saves – the woman that was hemorrhaging reached out to Christ in faith that somehow He would bring healing.  She didn’t anticipate how that healing would come about, she just knew she needed Him alone to be healed.

My idea of healing (taking away my OCD all together) may not be what God has in store.  Just because He doesn’t take my OCD away doesn’t mean He isn’t healing me – if anything He is perfectly healing me in the way I need right now in life. God has plans to love, protect, and prosper His children.  While I may want my OCD to be gone forever God sees the beauty in my brokenness and wants to make my cross whole again. 

A wise spiritual director of mine once asked me: “Have you ever thought about the idea that your OCD helps you to become more like Christ?” This question changed my life forever – in the hard moments when I cry and feel hopeless I can always go back to this question and set my eyes back upon the Kingdom.  Christ is using me with this cross in this moment in history for a reason.  All He asks is that I have faith that He can heal me when I reach out, making me whole and beautiful just the way He created me in His perfect way.  Take courage, reach out to Christ, and ask yourself how your crosses give you the opportunity to lean into Christ and be more like Him.

Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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Who Do You Say I Am?

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In today’s Gospel Christ asks the apostles “who do you say I am?” – reflecting upon this question I realize how often I doubt who God is. I doubt His promises, His love, and His providence.

If God were to ask me this question I would truly not know how to answer. How often do I ask myself this question about God? Do I ask myself this tough question or do I try to make God fit into my own box?

When we don’t know how to respond to the question we can do two things to find the answer. First and foremost we can read Scripture, reading how God reveals Himself in the Living Word. We may also look back at our lives and see how God reveals Himself through the ways He leads and guides us on the journey.

Know that God loves you and deeply desires to reveal Himself to us. We must seek Him in Scripture and in the tapestries of our lives.

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on Us

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I often fail to give myself a break. I beat myself up for the smallest things, perseverating on my lack of holiness. If I make one tiny mistake it turns into a mountain. I worry about being unworthy, not being lovable, and ultimately feel discouraged about my journey to sainthood.

On this Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we have an opportunity to look to Christ and His constant mercy. How is it possible that God can have endless mercy to shower upon all of us? I know this is a question I cannot fully answer or understand, but what I do know is that God’s Love is perfect and He is always there for us with His mercy, no matter what we may have done.

It is hard for me to accept this mercy from God, and it is even more difficult for me to show myself this mercy and love. I realize that I must show myself mercy if I am to grow in virtue. If I constantly put myself down it will be even harder to get back up on the road to holiness. If you are struggling to show yourself mercy invite God into these moments. With the help of God’s mercy in His Sacred Heart, we can learn to love ourselves for God’s glory and further trust in His perfect mercy.

“Trust the past to the mercy of God, the present to His love, and the future to His providence.” –St. Augustine

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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Be Present

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We are beginning to live in a more virtual world than ever before. Online meetings, emails, and videos are the primary means of communication that we have. Amidst all of this craziness and isolation that we are experiencing I have realized that it has been tough for me to be present to my husband and ultimately to Jesus, even though I have all the time in the world to spend in prayer and community with my spouse.  

Technology has become one of the main fillers in my day that allows me to get away (temporarily) from the anxiety this virus is causing. With this drastic increase in my time on devices comes a certain amount of passivity and laziness. Without a routine, I am lost as to how to go about my day. I have added various components into my day for routine (work, exercise, some prayer), but ultimately I am not going to my Advocate for my needs. I am not confiding in my husband and spending time with him as fully as I could be in the present moment. It has been discouraging for me to figure out how to be more present.

I recently read a book that I feel has helped me grow in my vocation called Marriage: The Mystery of Faithful Love by Dietrich von Hildebrand. He talks about how important it is to nourish love, how part of the vocation as husband and wife is to intentionally put your spouse first (and ultimately your relationship together with Christ). I would like to share a quote from his text below:

Because our laziness, our dullness, and our constant falling back into the periphery stultifies our vision, it is difficult always to keep before us in all its same clarity and splendor the image of the other person so wonderfully revealed by love. We should and must fight against this dullness, for it constitutes a sin against the temple which we erected in our marriage. (von Hildebrand, 1984)

After reading this passage in the text, I realized just what it means to truly put your spouse first. This pandemic has been a challenge in many ways, but the one thing I am thankful for is the gift to realize how much my spouse means to me and how I have been taking him for granted. With this realization comes the fact that I have not been loving Jesus the way I should be striving to love Him. I have been falling asleep in the garden, my laziness has taken over, and I am at the point where I am tired of making excuses.

With the grace of God, present and given freely to us all, I am choosing, as von Hildebrand states, to “fight against this dullness” and utilize the free will God gave me to love my husband and God the way it was meant to be from the beginning, looking to the state of Original Man in the Garden of Eden before sin occurred to know how I should act in our state of Historical Man. This choice of embracing the will, along with God’s grace will lead my husband and I to our state in Heaven, referred to as Eschatological Man by St. John Paul II in Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body. My flesh may be weak, and I know I will fall many times in the journey of life, but God will accompany my husband and I as we strive to love one another. No matter the ways you are struggling to be present to others and ultimately be present to God, know that if you ask for the grace to love others and love Him more perfectly, He will give you the strength to carry your cross. He will help you overcome your vices and look further into yourself, so you may then see His presence in yourself and those around you. Be thankful for the struggle – when we struggle, God is inviting us to accompany Him for greater adventures ahead. Through the struggle, He equips us with everything we need to love like Him in the vocation He has given us. No matter if you are married, single, or consecrated to Christ, know that we are in this together – our striving to be more present to Christ and our loved ones all comes down to our human vocation, and that is to love.

“My vocation, at last I have found it; my vocation is love.”
-St. Thérèse of Lisieux

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at nathalie.e.shultz@gmail.com.

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You Will Be Found

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Today we hear a Gospel about Jesus, the Good Shepherd. He lays down His life for us, and He will never forget any of us. His love is a constant and endures forever, abundant for us all. During these tough times, your faith may be going through a trial. Maybe it is hard to pray, or you are tired of watching a live stream of the mass. You want to grow in holiness, but you are worn down and exhausted.

I can tell you that this has been my story. I have been having trouble seeing the joy in the Easter season. Jesus has risen, but unfortunately, I have been stuck in the trenches of Lent. My OCD has made it difficult for me to really embrace the joy that comes with Easter. The fears of everything going on in the world, the safety of loved ones, and germs entering our home have become walls that have made it difficult for me to feel the presence of the Good Shepherd.

Maybe this is describing you – maybe you feel like you are still stuck in Lent. God knows our struggles, and Jesus can heal our wounds. While we may feel isolated from the rest of the flock, we must remember Jesus is always with us. Ask for strength and hope from Jesus, calling out to Him. He knows our voices and will always come to find us, no matter how lost we may feel. He will always welcome us with loving arms, ready to give us the grace we need to become the saints He is calling us to become amidst these difficult times. Brothers and sisters – know and trust how much God loves you, for you are one of the precious sheep.

“Have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love?”

Saint Teresa of Calcutta

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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Rest A While

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The world is a busy place – fast paced, on-the-go, and often yielding a need for multitasking. It is hard to find time for rest and silence in the world today. There are so many demands, so much that needs to get done, and so little time to get it done.

How do we find the time and space to rest in Christ when the demands of daily life become too much? I am in the process of learning how to do this now. While working in full-time ministry the individuals served need very much love and support – the harvest is plentiful. One thing I find helps me amongst the busy days is to say “Jesus, I trust in You”. While the full schedules don’t go away a peace washes over me when I say His name.

It can be difficult to slip away from the world for a bit to rejuvenate. Maybe for you it is reading 5 minutes of scripture, praying the Divine Mercy chaplet, or even saying “Jesus, I trust in You”. Whatever draws you into the peace of Christ should be a priority in your life. Your relationship with Jesus comes first. In order to serve others we must remember the importance of our own faith and relationship with Christ. Be not afraid to take a few moments as needed to spend that time in a sacred place with Him.

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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A Lack of Faith

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“Jesus said to them, ‘A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.’ So he was not able to perform any might deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith.” (Mark 6:4-6)

In today’s Gospel reading we hear about how those that Jesus preached to in Nazareth dismissed Him because of knowing His family and origins, with Nazareth being home for Him. While looking at this passage I had to ask myself: how often do I dismiss what Christ says? 

I may think I know everything about Him, I have heard the teachings over and over, I have been a Christian my entire life, so therefore I just take His teachings for granted. Furthermore, when I take His teachings for granted I take Him for granted. Christ is a great gift to us – He is love, the Word, the Bread of Life, the Good Shepherd.

Rather than being lukewarm about my faith Christ has infinite teachings and love to reveal to us in every moment of every day. How do we get out of a rut of being lukewarm in our faith? According to the video series The Wild Goose by 4PM Media and Franciscan Pathways, hosted by Fr. Dave Pivonka, TOR, we can ask the Holy Spirit to breathe life into us whenever we need. Something that seems so basic is so profound and invites God into our lives right where we are at. Rather than shutting Him out and relying on our own understanding we submit to His greatness and the Spirit will open our eyes to Christ and all He has for us.

I challenge you to invite the Holy Spirit into your life. As Fr. Pivonka says in The Wild Goose ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart, for Jesus to enter the way He did for the disciples at Pentecost. God will answer your prayer.

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. 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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Personal Romance

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Today we remember St. Agnes, a martyr for the faith back in the 300s. She devoted her life to Christ, set apart for him alone, and thus she refused men who pursued her for marriage. Due to outrage at her refusal, she was killed for being a Christian. God protected her throughout her life, including the trials she faced before her martyrdom. God loved her perfectly, and He loves each of us perfectly.

The other day our parish priest said that Catholics everywhere would fall in love with Jesus truly if they realized the perfect love He has for us, how He is always waiting in the tabernacle for us. If we truly pray and meditate upon the love of God and what that really means, we would never be able to miss Mass or put other agendas as a higher priority than our relationship with Christ. This made me reflect upon my relationship with Christ even further and how if I am to follow Him truly, then He must become Lord of my life beyond the words I say – I must show this in my daily actions.

Do I attend a weekly holy hour? John Paul II, during his pontificate, asked that the Faithful attend a weekly holy hour. He would visit Jesus multiple times daily. This statement alone is so hard for me to picture. While I know he was pope and had the ability to visit Jesus often, his schedule was very busy, beyond many of the days I think I am busy. He would visit towns, and if there was an adoration chapel, he would pause his entire schedule to go make time to sit at the feet of Jesus in prayer.

Do we have a devotion to Christ, like St. Agnes, a true romance? Do we faithfully find time to spend with Jesus in our local parish each week (or even once a month)? My challenge to you and me is to find a time to go sit with Jesus this week. Even if we just sit with Him for five minutes, we will be joining in the mission to satisfy His thirst for souls. He longs for you and me – this is personal and not just a fluffy story. His love is real; just like His true presence in the Eucharist is real. Let us increase our devotion to our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament more than we ever have.

“When you approach the tabernacle, remember that He has been waiting for you for twenty centuries.”
-St. Josemaria Escriva

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Nathalie Shultz is a joyful convert to the Catholic faith and a competitive swimmer 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. She is the Director of Religious Education for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative of parishes. Nathalie is married to her best friend, Tommy Shultz. Her favorite saints include St. Peter the Apostle, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and St. John Paul II.  She is also a huge fan of C.S. Lewis. If you have any questions for Nathalie, or just want her to pray for you, you can email her at rodzinkaministry@gmail.com.