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Mission in Life

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It seems like I am always harping on my kids to listen to me. “Come down and eat your breakfast!” “Go put on your socks and shoes!” “Where’s the TV remote?” “Quit pushing your brother!” I give so many time outs for disobedience or “selective hearing” if that’s what you want to call it. There is always a reason, always an excuse. When it comes down to it, they simply don’t do what I ask them to or stall for roughly a month or two.

Samuel expresses his frustration with Saul in today’s First Reading for similar reasons. He didn’t obey the Lord’s command. Saul tries to explain it away by saying he did some of what the Lord asked, a portion of it, and then whines about how his army started misbehaving. Well, just like putting on one sock instead of two really isn’t obeying, Saul really didn’t obey, and God decided it was time for someone else to rule.

We truly are blessed abundantly when we walk alongside the Lord. Saul was given the privilege of ruling as long as he obeyed. Once he disobeyed, that privilege was taken away. Most of the time, when I tell my kids to put their socks and shoes on, it’s because I am going to take them someplace fun. When they listen, they have the privilege of going with me.

Just as Samuel told Saul, “The Lord anointed you the king of Israel and sent you on a mission,” we have also been anointed by the Lord in baptism and given a mission in life. The great majority of us are not kings or rulers or even CEO’s, but we do have a mission. Perhaps for some, their mission is more clear, like those called to the priesthood or religious life, but for others, we struggle to realize what that mission is.

Maybe we can draw some direction from the Gospel and seek to pour new wine into fresh wineskins. Yes, we can be a font of renewal, a breath of fresh air, a positive voice in this negative world. We can care, engage, share, listen, and love. We can attempt to be that upright person the Psalmist speaks of in order to see and spread the saving power of God. Through obedience to Him, we can truly be the face of Christ to all we meet.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Our Lady Unites us to our Lord

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Today we celebrate the Patroness of all of the Americas. This feast day has become such a great celebration that it can no longer be contained to Mexico alone. Our loving Mother, back in 1531, appeared to Juan Diego as Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is accredited with freeing the Mexican people from idolatry and reconciling the Spanish and indigenous peoples in a common devotion. In other words, she single-handedly united the Mexican people and converted virtually the entire nation to Catholicism.

The miraculous qualities of the image she left on Juan Diego’s cloak are simply amazing. There are several people reflected in her eyes, including Juan Diego himself and the bishop he was asked to approach. The material’s temperature is 98.6 degrees, the same as a living person. No one has been able to replicate the pigments found in the image, neither from mineral, animal or vegetable sources. The image has been preserved for over 500 years, despite fire, a bomb, and an acid spill, not to mention that the fibrous fabric normally deteriorates after just 15 years.

Having lived in Mexico for three and a half years as a missionary, I have witnessed the incredible devotion there. Multiple images of her adorn almost every home. Novenas and rosaries occur at churches and in homes leading up to her feast day. Hundreds of thousands of faithful travel in pilgrimage each year, some are walking on their knees to arrive at her shrine on December 12th. Their devotion to her brings them to communion, to Christ, to the Eucharist.

I had the privilege to visit the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine several times while I lived there. The whole area has such a holy feel to it. Her presence is palpable. But I think what impacted me the most was the fact that people from all over the world, from diverse political parties, a gamut of social classes, differing colors of skin, ways of dress, from the very rich to the very poor, were found there, and they were all doing the very same thing: Praying. A moving walkway under her image kept “traffic” flowing, but most went back and forth multiple times, lips moving, hands raised, eyes elevated. You could see the faith and perhaps the desperation of each person there, all human beings crying out for intercession from the Mother of God and our Mother. Just as she united the Mexican people in the 1500s, she continues to unite all of us today.

I had many difficult moments as a missionary. Moments of vocational crisis, incomprehension, loneliness, and longing, and what got me through it all were my nightly visits to Our Lady. I would cry out to her, and often I would cry. I would pour out my woes and feel her soothe me, as a mother calms her child.

We are almost halfway through this Advent season. I would invite you, as you prepare your hearts for the coming of the Christ-Child, to do so hand in hand with Our Blessed Mother. She is the person closest to our Lord, the one who knows Him the best, knows His heart, knows your heart. For the remainder of this Advent, allow her to unite your heart to His.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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A Different Kind of Simplicity

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Here we are. We’ve made it. We are in a new liturgical year, a new season. Advent! The Lord is coming. He is drawing nigh. Our Savior, the adorable little Christ Child will soon be born. I don’t have to ask myself if I’m ready yet, because the time of preparation has just started. We have 23 days to make the most of each and every day to prepare our hearts, the “home” of our being, for this incredible mystery. We are not ready for it today. We may not be ready for it on the 25th, but we sure can try.

I know I have posted before about living a simplified, less complicated, less stressful life. Let me tell you, with four active, LOUD boys, ages six and under, that is a very difficult feat. Even if I wanted to live quietly, decibels you may have never heard before occur at my house. Even if I wanted to live simply, the number of toys required to keep the four of them occupied create mountains in my home.

Yet there is one thing I can do, one aspect of my life I can still silence and simplify, my thoughts. I have noticed more and more lately how easily I criticize others, make jest, point out faults, or gossip. Even though I truly don’t believe that I am perfect, somehow, I let the notion that I am better than others slip into my subconscious and then out of my mouth. Of course, I’m really not. I am just as good or bad as the next person, but boy, do I need a good dose of humility. If only I could keep my mouth shut. If only I could stop my mind from spinning so many negative thoughts.

So that is my Advent resolution that will spill over into 2020. I truly want to rejoice this Christmas, to see the good in others, and show goodness to others. I want the light of Christ to shine through me and flow into those around me.

I admit it has been a rough year with extremely tough issues in multiple facets of my life. They have angered me, upset me, saddened me, and I closed in on myself. I am still processing, still trying to make sense of it all, but in the meantime, I cannot put love and kindness on hold. I am a Catholic Christian and have to act accordingly.

Today’s Psalm spurs me on and renews my hope. May they inspire you as well:

Because of my relatives and friends
I will say, “Peace be within you!”
Because of the house of the LORD, our God,
I will pray for your good.
Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord! [Or: Let us approach rejoicing, the birthday of our Lord!]

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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How Beautiful Is The Originator Of It All!

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As I write this post, my mind and heart are looking forward to Advent, which starts in just 15 days. I always try to add devotion to this time of preparation for Christ’s birth and make sure that I have all my gifts purchased and wrapped by then, so as to focus on the spiritual, not the material aspects of Christmas. And the calendar is telling me I’m running out of time. Thankfully we have decided to simplify Christmas this year, which takes a lot of pressure off this momma in so many ways. I’m not sure my kids are quite on board though. They’ve been making their wish lists since June.

If you look closely, today’s First Reading talks precisely about this, focusing more on gifts than the giver of gifts. It says that because of the beauty of fire, wind, stars, and water, people began to consider them gods instead of their Creator. It could just as easily say that due to the allure of new cars, social media, and phones, we consider them gods. For “though they seek God and wish to find him…they search busily among his works but are distracted by what they see, because the things seen are fair.” (Wis 13:6-7)

All the things God created are indeed beautiful, but what a great reminder to let them lead us back to Him!

Now, if out of joy in their beauty they thought them gods, let them know how far more excellent is the Lord than these; for the original source of beauty fashioned them. Or if they were struck by their might and energy, let them from these things realize how much more powerful is he who made them. (Wisdom 13 – emphasis added)

How beautiful and excellent and powerful is our Lord God! If you think a sunrise or a snow-capped mountain is beautiful, a brand new iPhone or Amazon Prime is excellent, and a 650 supercharged Corvette or a multimillionaire politician is powerful, just imagine how beautiful and excellent and powerful is the One who made them all!!

It is so easy and so tempting to stop and stay at what catches my eye or my mind’s eye at any given moment. I am scared to be quiet and still because maybe the unknown will be too profound for me to handle. I have a sense that God wants to pour Himself into me, not only give me gifts, but BE the gift, yet I run to the next distraction, whether it be Christian suspense novels or Facebook or email or superficial chats or gossip.

So as Advent approaches, I resolve to spend time focusing not so much on the gifts, but on the giver, author, originator, source, and artisan of them all – my beautiful, excellent, and powerful God.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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We Are One Body

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I will never forget my first World Youth Day. I really wasn’t old enough to attend at just 13 years of age, but some members of my youth group were going and if Pope John Paul II was going to be in the States, I HAD to be there. Somehow we managed to secure a hotel before each and every room in the city was taken, but we still lived out the pilgrimage experience. We hiked for hours under the hot sun shouldering heavy packs. Water venders were stationed strategically so we wouldn’t dehydrate but still it seemed like we would never get there. Finally, the landscape opened up to a huge flat “park” and already hundreds of thousands of people were looking for a spot to camp out for the night. We planted ourselves quite a ways back from the stage and shared in song, prayer and conversation before falling asleep under the stars. We managed to find a breakfast booth and a port-a-potty before the Supreme Pontiff flew in on a helicopter for the closing Mass. And although we only managed to see him on the Jumbo Tron and hear him through radio, we were there! We were in his presence!

As the years pass, the details fade but there are two aspects I hope to never forget. One was hearing the Holy Father tell us over and over again not to be afraid. I can hear his voice ringing in my ears to this day. In English, with a thick Polish accent he implored us: “Do not be afraaaid. Do not be afraaaid. Dooo not be afraid!” I also remember singing over and over again the event’s theme song “We Are One Body”. We would often hold hands in a long chain or put our arms around each other’s shoulders and sway back and forth as we sang, forming a deep comradery. I truly felt like part of one body with the multitudes of Catholics from all over the world.

Today’s First Reading reminded me of this sacred moment. “We, though many, are one Body in Christ,” Paul exhorts us. He goes on to list specific abilities, talents and ministries. My friends, we all have them. We are all good at something. We all have something to share. But we must remember that those special attributes are all gifts. These gifts are freely given to us by our loving Father in order to then give away freely to others. Paul says: “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them.”

And there is where I often falter, in the giving back part. My whole life I failed to fit in. I was always either the “fat girl” or the “goodie two shoes” or the “tattle tale” or the “smarty pants”. My classmates taunted me for wanting to do the right thing. As an adult, my companions aren’t quite that cruel, but the familiar fear nags at my subconscious. What will they think about me? What will they say about me behind my back? Will they think I’m a religious snob, trying to be “holier than thou”? And that is when our beloved St. John Paul II’s voice echoes in my mind, reminding me not to be afraid.

St. Paul goes on to paint a Christian-life roadmap for us:

Let love be sincere;
hate what is evil,
hold on to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
anticipate one another in showing honor.
Do not grow slack in zeal,
be fervent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
endure in affliction,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the holy ones,
exercise hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you,
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Have the same regard for one another;
do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

Let us remember that we are one body and not be afraid to live this out.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Gloom and Doom or Thanksgiving?

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Life is full of milestones. This year my family has reached many. In January, my grandmother turned 90, my mother turned 70, and my husband turned 40. Last month my parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, and today, I celebrate my 40th birthday.

No longer able to hide the subtle wrinkles and brown spots appearing on my skin, I succumb to the reality that middle age has come. The feeling of being on the other side of the hill already hit me a few years back when gray hairs moved in, and energy moved out. In some ways, I feel wiser, and in other ways, I feel like I’m still a child.

But whether it’s an anniversary or a birthday or another great achievement, my wish to celebrate is the same. I am so grateful for the gift of life, family, and faith. These milestones remind me to turn my heart towards God, the giver of all good gifts.

Today’s readings are full of gloom and doom. People called to weep, fast and put on sackcloth in the First Reading and Jesus talking about divided kingdoms, unclean spirits, and demons in the Gospel. Yet the Psalm offers a breath of fresh air:

I will give thanks to you, O LORD, with all my heart;
I will declare all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, Most High.

This Psalm reminds us that amid calamity and evil, chaos and sadness, God is still present. When we take a moment to refocus and turn our hearts to Him, we are able to gain a fresh perspective and rejoice once again.

The saint of the day, Pope John XXIII, was known for his wit, his sense of humor, and his constant smile. Although he lived through various hardships, such as World War II and the Cuban missile crises, he refused to lose heart. He criticized “prophets of doom” who “see nothing but prevarication and ruin” and chose the “medicine of mercy” instead.

We all know the kind of world we live in. We all know we can’t turn back time. We all know that age will come upon us. But we have a choice in how we accept it. We can allow ourselves to be swallowed up in the gloom and doom, or we can choose to focus on God’s infinite mercy instead and give thanks to Him with all our hearts.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Children and Guardian Angels

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Each night as I tuck my boys into bed, I pray with them. We tell Jesus and Mother Mary how much we love them and pray for all of our family members. They each have a crucifix in their room to remind them of God’s presence, and I plant kisses on their cheeks and the Sign of the Cross on their foreheads to remind them of mine. Just before I close their door, we recite the Guardian Angel prayer and they drift off to sleep knowing of their protection.

I remember my Dad talking to us about our Guardian Angels as a child. He would tell us that we each had one and their job was to protect us and watch over us. He even called his own by name and claimed he was the patron of parking spots. When we went to an event where parking space was limited, and we had been driving around for a few minutes with no luck, he would ask his guardian angel for help, and he would quickly find a spot…every time. I began to realize that we could have more than just a superficial realization of our guardian angel’s existence in our lives; we could form a relationship with them.

Our guardian angels remind us of our frailty, they remind us of our humanness, of our dependence on an Almighty God and His heavenly helpers. Any day of the week, at any moment we could find ourselves at death’s door, yet God sends us His angels to keep us safe until our time comes.

Perhaps that is why today’s Gospel speaks of the angels in the context of children.

“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.” (Mt 18)

Perhaps you have your own children to tuck into bed each night, perhaps you have grandchildren or nieces and nephews you enjoy watching grow up, but whether you do or don’t, don’t ever forget your own childlikeness. For you are and always will be a child of your heavenly Father. You are a child, and your guardian angel, who watches over you, is gazing on the heavenly Father’s face. May that thought bring you peace and joy this day.

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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It is God Who Changes Us

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Do you ever feel like certain aspects of your life are like the song that never ends? Never-ending diapers, never-ending cooking, washing, drying, never-ending home improvement projects, drywall, mud, sand, paint. It just goes on and on and on. At times I think I’m going to drop from sheer exhaustion and other times I think I would be bored out of my mind if I didn’t have anything to do.

I wonder if the first disciples felt the same way. After Jesus rose from the dead and they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were told to go out to all the world and spread the Good News. Now that is quite the task! My diaper changes and drywall projects are like a drop in the bucket compared to going out to the WHOLE world!

Yet that is what we are called to do. Be a good example, live a holy life, teach our children, be a light to those around us… Today’s First Reading invites us to “set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity. [A]ttend to reading, exhortation, and teaching.” That’s a pretty tall order! But Jesus never promised that following Him would be easy.

Perhaps the Pharisee who had invited Jesus to dine with him thought the sinful woman who interrupted their dinner was like the song that never ends. Surely he rolled his eyes at her repentance because he knew “what sort of woman” she was. “She’ll just keep sinning over and over again,” he thought to himself. “She’ll never change.”

The Pharisee had no clue who he was dealing with, who Jesus truly was, and how powerful his love is in the changing of hearts. I am often guilty of the same. I feel like I’m stuck in a rut in both my everyday life and in my spiritual life, and I am so tempted to believe that things will never change. Yet the life of a Christian is all about transformation. We should not stop learning, changing, and growing in our walk with the Lord. But above all, we should not allow ourselves to fall into despair and believe the lie that we CAN’T change because the One who changes us is our all-powerful God.

So I invite you to join me today in asking God for a renewed faith, hope and love so that he may say to us, just as he said to the sinful woman who showed him such great love, “Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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The Changing Seasons

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The changing of seasons is always so bittersweet. Beach season turns into orchard season. Shorts are exchanged for pants. Evenings and mornings turn cool, and if they hit the 50’s, you might even be able to see your breath already. The days get shorter, and the darkness invades earlier. Thoughts turn toward warm apple cider, hot chocolate, and the holidays. And although I haven’t started singing Christmas carols quite yet, I have thought about Halloween costumes, who we will spend Thanksgiving with and which of my kids will need new snow pants.

The seasons are also changing in my personal life as crises are being resolved, projects are being completed and the boys are back to school. Whatever hasn’t been resolved I have resigned to, trying my best to leave it in God’s hands and in His time. In this world of constant change, I long for a steady routine, a predictable life, one that I can throw some occasional fun into.

But today’s readings remind me that no matter what season I find myself in, God is there. In seasons of hardship, “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” In seasons of in-between He “reconcile[s] all things for him, making peace by the Blood of his cross.” In seasons of tranquility, “all the fullness was pleased to dwell.” (from Col 1:15-20)

Whenever I feel like everything is crashing down before my eyes, I remind myself to turn to gratitude. No matter how hard things are, there are always many things to be grateful for. My children are hyper, loud, and crazy, yet they are healthy and loving. My house is messy, and I step on toys constantly, but I have a roof over my head. I am stretched thin financially, but we have food on the table. I am exhausted, but it is because I have a job where I work hard and a family to come home to. No matter how little I seem to have, in reality, I have so much. So today I choose to “Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.”

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
Know that the LORD is God;
he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
his courts with praise;
Give thanks to him; bless his name.
For he is good,
the LORD, whose kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations. (Psalm 100)

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Seasons of Hardship

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Have you ever gone through a period of great suffering in your life, a time when you felt like enough was enough and just couldn’t go on? I mean, how many things can snowball into a stark reality before you go absolutely crazy?

In today’s first reading, Gideon wondered the very same thing. Begrudged by the oppression of the Midianites, he was an unhappy man. So God sent HIM to do something about it. As I type, my body is wracked with soreness and exhaustion, my soul is bruised from wounded relationships and unexpected realizations, my mind is whirling with a hundred things that crush my thoughts. How long can this go on?

Faced with the eviction of close relatives who trashed a living space we owned, we have been forced to spend countless hours and thousands of dollars that we don’t have just making it livable again. We count on the rental of this space to pay our bills and every month it lays vacant we go more and more in the hole. So each night, after working all day, my husband and I trudge over to our “side job.” Most days the to-do list is so long we can see no light at the end of the tunnel. Now, with most cosmetic aspects in place and a smaller list of practical details to finish we feel a certain amount of relief. It is short-lived, however, as we realize how much work we have to do on our own home, all projects abandoned in a rush to finish the rental.

To top it all off, my husband has begun a new venture that he loves, but that also entails a certain amount of stress and takes up a good portion of his time. The kids are fighting and cocking attitudes. School is about to start. We have family visiting for a week. Did I mention we are EXHAUSTED?…the words of the Psalm come as a balm to my weary soul.

“I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD–for he proclaims peace to his people, and to his faithful ones, and to those who put in him their hope.” (Ps 85)

“For everything, there is a season, even a season to suffer, to be tired and to wonder why. And in every season God is there and there is hope. For every season there is a reason. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” (Mt 19)

Someone once told me that it was kind of nice being in the depths of the pit because you knew the only direction you could go from there was up. So here’s to moving forward, to ascending the heights, with my sights on the eternal goal, my final climb heavenward. “For God, all things are possible.”

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.

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Subject of the Lord our God

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“Something very deep and mysterious, very holy and sacred, is taking place in our lives right where we are, and the more attentive we become the more we will begin to see and hear it. The more our spiritual sensitivities come to the surface of our daily lives, the more we will discover—uncover—a new presence in our lives”. Henri Nouwen

I was intrigued by this passage several days ago. Can this be true even amidst the numerous tragedies happening in our country? Yes. It is true. One of the most powerful testaments to this comes from Deuteronomy in today’s readings. [“Israel” and “Egypt” have been replaced with “America” for effect.]

Dt10:12-13, 16-21  “And now, America, what does the LORD, your God, ask of you but to fear the LORD, your God, and follow his ways exactly, to love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD that I am commanding you today for your own well-being?… Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and be no longer stiff-necked. For the LORD, your God, is the God of gods, the LORD of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who has no favorites, accepts no bribes; who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and befriends the alien, feeding and clothing him. So you too must befriend the alien, for you were once aliens yourselves in the land of America. The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve;  hold fast to him and by his name you shall swear”.

These words written long ago call to us, asking us to be attentive to what is going on in our lives today.  I believe we are being called to look at the ten commandments with fresh eyes and re-evaluate own moral focus and virtues. It is time to take notice of our families, communities, and nation. Look at the scene around you; Are the individuals treated in the manner in which you expect, in the way you want your loved ones to be treated?

The Gospel acclamation today states that “God has called you through the Gospel to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2Thes 2:14).

As you continue this day, I want to leave you with a Franciscan Benediction. Please consider asking for these blessings to help in your future actions and reflections.

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children, and the poor. Amen.

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Beth is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She brings a unique depth of experience to the group due to her time spent in education, parish ministries, sales and the service industry over the last 25 yrs. She is a practicing spiritual director as well as a Secular Franciscan (OFS). Beth is quick to offer a laugh, a prayer or smile to all she comes in contact with. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.

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Those Who Sow Bountifully Will Reap Bountifully

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Today’s date marks an important day in my family’s history. It is the day my dad was ordained a Permanent Deacon. As of today, we have had an ordained minister in our family for 17 years. This has been a singular blessing for us, as he has been able to baptize numerous grandchildren and even witness a few of our wedding vows. I mean, not many people can say, “Yeah, my Dad baptized my kids!” As we celebrate his anniversary, today’s readings remind me of one of my Dad’s biggest virtues: generosity.

Brothers and sisters:
Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.

As it is written:
He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness.
-2 Cor 9:6-10

Growing up, we had very little since my mom stayed home with the eight of us and we all went to Catholic schools, but no matter how little we had, my parents never stopped giving. I remember accompanying my mom on trips in our big red Econoline van to carry clothing to the migrants who worked in the apple fields. We would also pick up day-old bread and bring it out to the Carmelite nuns. I would go to refugees’ houses with my dad to bring them furniture or help them fix something. Every day at dinner we would pray for the children we sponsored in the Philippines, affording them daily food and clothing and a decent education. I know there are many, many more things they did for others that I never even knew about.

In return, God was not outdone in generosity. Whenever we were short, a check would show up in the mail or a hot meal at our door. When my mom got sick, neighbors and friends stepped up to take care of us. We never lacked anything and we never went hungry. God always took care of us. I truly believe that the more generous we are to others, the more generous God is to us. He shines down His thankful smiles for our willingness to help another one of His beloved children. So here’s an encouraging word to increase your giving so that God may “make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, [you will always have] all you need.”

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Tami grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling home improvement projects, finding fun ways to keep her four boys occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at Diocesan, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for almost 20 years.