Tag: Veronica Alvarado

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Amen! Amen, hallelujah!

Today’s first reading literally had me nodding my head and saying, “that’s right” as I was reading it. I mean the letters to the Corinthians were written by St. Paul in about AD 55, but they are still just as applicable after nearly two thousand years!

The fact of the matter is that although it has been thousands of years and we have had a world of technological advances, we are still humans that deal with the same issues as the Corinthians. Yes, we now have the internet and indoor plumbing, we are still the same, shallow Christians as centuries ago.

What? Me, a shallow Christian?

There’s no use denying it. It is a part of our human nature to be flawed, but that does not mean that we should give up. In today’s reading, St. Paul is reminding us that we should not be celebrated just because we go to Mass on Sunday. We are not just there to participate in the glorious Eucharist. We are not just there to pray to Our Father. We are not just going to Mass because it makes us look and feel like good people.

We go to Mass because it is a time to come together as one body in Christ.

In today’s reading, it focuses on the fact that the Corinthians do not eat the bread, the body, and drink the wine, the blood, of Jesus Christ together, as a people. St. Paul uses the metaphor of eating dinner at different times and different amounts, therefore there is no unity or purpose in even coming together. They gather to worship God and do not share the wealth with each other.

What is the point in being Christian if you are not sharing it with others?

Are you really even following God’s commands?

Love is the greatest commandments and you cannot love by avoiding the world around you. You and I are one body in Christ and it is the same things that keep us divided that are keeping us from living out our mission. As Matthew 5:24 says, “First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” because we are not meant to keep our wealth, spiritual or otherwise, to ourselves.

We were created to love by sharing our joys, our compassion, and our faith, with the world around us. How do we achieve this? Ask your friends, family, coworkers how they are doing, and listen with your undivided attention. This will open up the floor for discussion where you can display your compassion and give faithful wisdom one person at a time.

So take the time to talk to the people around you. Listen. Love.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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Change is hard. Change means switching things up and usually, it means no longer doing what is easy or comfortable. Then again, change can be easy if the ultimate reason is worth it. A coach I had in high school once said that if we weren’t running towards a personal goal, we’d end up walking. He was trying to motivate us for our first cross-country run of the season, but it sounds profound enough to be applied to the rest of our lives.

For example, if you want to “be healthy” and do not set goals, you may struggle with the physical and dietary changes that come with it. This is why it typically takes a doctor’s news or a life-changing realization to make healthy changes. In trying to be healthy, we have to create new habits that align with our goals, otherwise, everything falls apart.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us that change is good. He reminds us that change leads to better things and that once we realize just how good change is, we won’t want to go back. In terms of physical health, he is saying that once we feel the energy from eating healthy/exercise, we won’t want to go back to our bad habits. The goal is worth the change.

So what about our spiritual lives?

Is heaven worth the change? Is everlasting life worth biting your tongue when today isn’t going your way? Is unending love from Our Creator worth giving 100% of your focus to Sunday’s Mass?

I say of course, but have I changed my habits and realigned every aspect of my life to line up with my goals? Probably not. It is easy to do one good thing a day, but it is harder to change your life so that every one of your actions gives glory to God.

Maybe it starts with a prayer as soon as you wake up. Take that sunrise prayer and continue it throughout the day. Pray for your loved ones, the strangers, and most importantly, pray for your enemies. Pray with love. Pray with forgiveness. Pray with peace. Let the change be worth it.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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Today is the feast day of St. Augustine of Hippo, one of my favorite saints. St. Augustine was a privileged man, with wealth and education given to him. He was also son of St. Monica (who went through all kinds of struggles with him), but that didn’t mean he believed that he was a Catholic from the start. Instead, St. Augustine ignored the Word of God as the truth and lived his life however he wanted. Finally, after years of his mother praying and hearing St. Ambrose preach, he understood that Christianity was the ultimate truth.

Still, even knowing the truth, he decided he could not become Catholic because of his past. He lived a life of debauchery, deception and loose morals. He thought that he would never be pure enough to be Catholic. He saw all of his failures as reasons he could never be a good Catholic.

I truly connect with St. Augustine because I, too, often struggle with not feeling like I deserved God’s love. For the last two or three years, I couldn’t even bring myself to go to confession because I felt that if I confessed, I would feel so ashamed and verbalize the reasons I didn’t deserve God’s love. As some of you recall, it wasn’t until this past June that I asked God’s mercy and forgiveness back into my life.

That’s when it hit me; We don’t actually deserve anything.

Now, I know it’s only been a couple weeks since I last reminded you to be thankful, but today I want to take a new perspective. Not deserving anything in life sounds terrible, but if I really think about it, it’s freeing. We deserve nothing, yet look at how much we have! Understanding we deserve nothing is accepting your blessings for all that they are; gifts from Our Father. It allows us to see everything as a gift from God and a testament to his love.

We aren’t born deserving of a loving family or a happy life, so why do we think we deserve it?

It is the world telling us to take our gifts for granted. Just as St. Augustine had a former life of chasing “worldly ambitions,” so do we. We believe that because we are not pure evil, we must deserve big houses and fancy cars. We have been told by our consumerist nation that we deserve everything we want, so we should take it at any cost. Yet, this is not what God wants of us.

If we let go of our worldly expectations, we allow ourselves to fully realized how blessed we truly are. If we focus on what we have and not how much we want bigger and better things, then maybe we can see all that we have been given.

Yet, as St. Augustine says, “The words here are concepts. You must go through the experiences.” Therefore, let us pray:

Lord, help us to see our countless blessings.

Help us not to waste our knowledge of your mercy
and, instead, to use it to glorify you.

I am humbled at your name,
for without you, God, I am nothing.

Amen.

 

My dad adds that last line to every one of his prayers as a humble reminder of our blessings. Try thoughtfully adding this to all of your prayers for the week.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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It was really hard to write today’s Inspiration Daily. I cannot deny that high tensions surround anything calling out directly, or even indirectly, the fact that racism, violence, sexism/misogyny, gay panic and fiscal irresponsibility exist. I recall an argument from my middle school science class; nature or nurture?

How much of what we believe and who we are is an outcome of what our parents have taught us versus how much is actually a part of who we are? Are people born with loving/racist, kind/violent, heterosexual/LGBTQ+ tendencies or are they formed from small and key moments that impact their daily live as they grow up? Unfortunately, the argument of our genetic makeup or environment mattering more is still an open discussion that continues, but today God tells us that it is not up to our genetic makeup to define us.

Ancient Hebrews used to use the proverb, “Fathers have eaten green grapes, thus their children’s teeth are on edge,” to blame their behavior on their ancestors. Though it has been thousands of years, we are still blaming those before us for our own actions. Phrases such as “I am a product of my upbringing” and “I can’t help it” can no longer be an excuse for our sins. It is up to us, as adults, to define our own future for both this life and our afterlife.

In today’s first reading, God commands us to never repeat this proverb, because we are judged on our own sins, not our parents’. Your father may have been an immoral person, but God will not judge you according to his sins. This is an absolutely wonderful thing, but at the same time it also means that we can’t blame our parents for who we are as a coworker, as a partner, as a parent, as a society.

Since we are created in God’s image and likeness, we are all called to love, regardless of our genetic disposition or environment. Yes, some events in our lives may push us towards hatred, but as the Catechism reminds us, we recognize the urge to “to what is good and avoid what is evil.” If we are true children of God, it should not be a choice, not even our last one.

Think about the argument again. Nature or nurture? We are children of God by nature, so we should do all things with love and gratitude, that much is clear. Now if the rest is up to nurture, then the choice is ours. We can choose to nurture God’s love and share it with those around us. We can transform others with our own choices, giving eternal glory to God with our hands, voices, and thoughts. On the other hand, we can choose to nurture hatred and sin, causing others to sin and be judged accordingly.

Let us pray the Responsorial Psalm for guidance.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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Today is finally Friday! If you’re like me, you’ve been looking forward to this day all week. I have plans to take a six-hour road trip to visit my cousins, but maybe you’re looking forward to just taking some time to relax or spend quality time with the people you love. Either way, a weekend sound great, so TGIF!

Did you do it? Did you thank God that it’s Friday? I mean, did you literally praise God for giving us this wonderful Friday that we have lived to see? If not, you should! He has given us the gift of life on this glorious Friday so that we can experience His glory in all that we see and for that we should be grateful.

The phrase “thank God” has become so standard that sometimes (or all the time) we forget to actually thank God. This came to mind because I recently met an English professor that does talks on words changing throughout time and cultures. He specifically discussed the word “awesome” and how it used to be reserved for something terrifying, then was used to describe something so absolutely amazing that it took your breath away and filled you with awe. Now we use it to describe a shopping cart that doesn’t have a wobbly wheel. Not exactly the same connotation as the original meaning.

In a similar way, we don’t use the phrase “thank God” in the same way it was originally meant. We say it in such a flippant way that we don’t think about the prayer that we are just throwing away.

Now, I’m not saying that we need to stop saying “thank God,” but I do think we should actually thank Him. We should thank him for Fridays, as well as the amazingly awesome things and the awesome, no-wobbly shopping carts. He has given us the gift of life on this glorious Friday, so why shouldn’t we thank him for the little gifts He has placed in our lives?

In 2013, Pope Francis said, “If we can realize that everything is God’s gift, how happy will our hearts be! Everything is a gift.” I want to be happy and I imagine you do too. Thank God it’s Friday.

To read more on what Pope Francis has to say about finding happiness, check out his book.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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Thank you all for the feedback about our Inspiration Daily program. I will be making some of the positive changes that were suggested over the next few weeks. If you didn’t have a chance to fill out our quick five question survey, please do so HERE, or feel free to email me at tshultz@diocesan.com with any feedback. God Bless you all and thank you for reading!

-Tommy Shultz

 

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The last line of today’s Gospel made me a little bit uncomfortable. “He was amazed at their lack of faith.” I felt a little bit called out. I am a believer, but I know there are times where I lack faith in my all-knowing, ever-present God. I also know that I am not the only one.

We all question God. We have no right to do so, but in our lives we are faced with issues that make us really wonder if God has anything do with us. It could be the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, or the diagnosis we never expected. Whatever it may be, we are tested and we lose faith, even if only for a moment.

Yet we return to God. Why? Because we are able to see his blessings in everything that remains once the dust has settled. Although a loved one has died, we love those still here more fiercely. Although we may lose a job, we may find another better suited for us. Although we are sick or in pain, we still have life. We are constantly and consistently surrounded by God’s love, his grace, his mercy, his joy. All around us are reminders of God’s presence, both simple and unbelievably amazing.

Right now, I am struggling with the fact that I broke my ankle. I feel helpless and I must sadly admit that for a moment, I was angry at God. It wasn’t his fault that I bought a longboard and stepped off the wrong way. However, I do believe that God had a part in the joy I felt when riding the longboard (for less than an hour, but still). He was the breeze on the hot day, the sunshine on my face, the sparkle in Lake Michigan. He was there.

And he is here. In our lives, we are given free will. We are given the choice between joy and agony in all that we do. We can see the bright sunshine on a summer day, or we can see a sunburn waiting to happen. God is present whether we choose to see him or not. Choose wisely.

Heavenly Father,

You surround us with your love at all times.Help us know your peace when we are troubled. Help us feel your love when we are hurt. Help us celebrate your joy when do not understand. Help us welcome your plan when we cannot see it. All knowing, ever present God, Help us to not lack in faith so that we may feel your presence in our lives.

Amen.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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This week, I cried for our world. I watch the news, I follow social media, I talk with coworkers, so I am painfully aware of our world’s struggle. I am aware of the situation happening to immigrant children in our own country. I am aware of the religious persecution. I am aware of racial bias. I am aware of refugee struggles and rejection. I am aware of the fight for basic humanity. Where is the basic humanity?

I cannot understand why people do not simply care about each other. Who are we to judge one another? Are we not brothers and sisters in Christ, regardless of our differences? Who are we to deny others of the same freedoms we, ourselves, fight for? We are all struggling in one way or another and yet we are often very picky of who we will and will not lift up.

Today’s first reading says, “Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as capstone.” (EPH 2:19-21)

Last week was Catholic Religious Freedom Week and tomorrow is the Fourth of July, an anniversary of our nation’s independence. We should use today to reflect upon what tomorrow truly means. What does our freedom and independence mean? It means our country is a melting pot, filled with cultures, races, and backgrounds that are all able to come together in a single country.

We are all one in God’s eyes. There is no “us” and “them” in Catholicism. Just as our country is one nation under God – not one American nation under God, not one North American Nation under God, but just ALL one nation under God – we are all children of God. When Jesus told us to love our neighbors as ourselves, he further explained what he meant by literally everyone being our neighbor using the parable of the good Samaritan.  You see, we are all strangers on the road between Jerusalem and Jericho. It is up to us to be the Good Samaritan that treats all with mercy.

For more information on the Catholic Church’s stance on Religious Liberty, click here.

For last week’s Religious Liberty daily prayers and reflections, click here.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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I recently attended a Steubenville Adult Conference in which a speaker took the stage and gave an extremely vocal, Catholic rally call. He shouted and asked us to loudly repeat after him. At first, I felt like I was at some protestant church with the pastor yelling, people clapping, cheering, and a constant murmur of “Amen” and “Yes, God.” I thought, this is not what Catholics do. This is not how we behave. We wait until someone says, “Peace be with you” to say anything. I felt so uncomfortable and completely out of my spiritual element.

Then I realized that this uncomfortability is exactly why the Catholic faith is dying. It’s exactly why the youth are leaving and not bothering to look back. Many Catholics are so complacent with the world around us that they are not even trying to make a change. Many Catholics are so apathetic that they are borderline nihilistic. Many Catholics seem to be so “whatever” that their values and beliefs are worth next to nothing.

We cannot become complacent with the world around us, especially when we live in a nation that is constantly rallying and protesting their beliefs. Everyone is protesting something, be it pipelines, marijuana use, animal cruelty, pro-life issues, and so much more. Change is made when voices are heard and we will not be heard if we do not raise our voices. Instead, we as Catholics will slip into the unknown and we will be forgotten.

So I tell you now that it is okay to get loud. It is okay to go into the public arena armed with God’s unending love to fight with. If we fight, we will win because we have God on our side. But we will not win if we never bother fighting. Besides, we were not created to be silent. We were created to love God and to boldly defend his creations.

Let us turn our responsorial hymn into a prayerful rally cry. Pray it loud. 

“O God, you have rejected us and broken our defenses; you have been angry; rally us! You have rocked the country and split it open; repair the cracks in it, for it is tottering. You have made your people feel hardships; you have given us stupefying wine. Have not you, O God, rejected us, so that you go not forth, O God, with our armies? Give us aid against the foe, for worthless is the help of men.” (PS 60:3, 4-5, 12-13)

If you are still afraid to be bold, pray Ephesians 6:18-20.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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Someone once asked my friend, “If your boat sank and you could only save one of your parents, which one would you save?” Without hesitation, she answered, “My dad.” Everyone was shocked and couldn’t believe that she would leave her mother, one of the nicest people I’d ever met, to drown and die. Everyone loved her mother, Mandy, so we had to ask, “Why wouldn’t you save your mom?” I remember her shrugging and saying, “My mom told me that she lived her life full of love and faith. She said that she’s ready to go at any time because she knows that she’s done her best.”

Wow. Can you imagine knowing that you’ve done the best in making all the right choices? I know for a fact that if God came down right now to take my life, my brain would react the same as when you have an unexpected house guest. My brain would be on high alert, throwing things in the closet, shoving things into cabinets and yelling, “Just one second” through the door.  I knew I should’ve gone to Mass every Sunday. I haven’t gone to confession in years. I should’ve taught my boyfriend how to love Jesus. I shouldn’t have let them bully that kid back in 5th grade. Quite frankly, I’d be slightly terrified that I wouldn’t make it to heaven.

Today’s second reading reminds us that we will all one day, “appear before the judgement seat of Christ” and be judged for each act, good or evil. Now, I’m not saying that I believe I would go to hell, and I’m not saying that my friend’s mom has no regrets. What I’m trying to say is that she consciously lives a faithful life, everyday. It’s not just Sundays and it’s not just when it was convenient for her.

Write down the things you would regret if you died right now. Now, many of these post-mortem regrets are things you can change now. You can’t change the past, but you CAN change your future. I haven’t gone to Mass every Sunday, but I can from now on. It really had been 6 years since I’d gone to confession, but I finally felt the healing graces of the sacrament this past weekend. I should be sharing my love of Christ with my boyfriend, so I will begin talking freely about my joy and love for God. I should be standing up for what I believe in, so next time I will borrow Christ’s courage and say something.

Today’s Gospel is all about Jesus explaining the kingdom of God with a parable. The man scatters his seeds and they sprout and grow, even though “he knows not how.” I doubt that Mandy knows that my mother has often said, “I only wish I could be as holy as Mandy,” because that’s the kind of inspiration that you feel from her. I am not sure if she knows that people see her kindness, her selfless love, her compassion, her family’s love of Christ, her happiness and are inspired. Yet there are countless people, myself included, that are touched by her actions.

We should live our lives in the same way so that our faith inspires others to live faithfully as we do. We should live out our faith in a way that inspires people to show their kindness, their selfless love, their compassion, and their love of Christ in everything we do. In fact, I think Diocesan’s motto defines exactly how we should live: Catholic Life Every Day.

(Some names and identifying details have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.)

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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On my ankle, I have a tattoo that reads I>˅˄ and it stands for I AM (Yahweh/God) is greater (>) than my highs(^) and my lows (v). It reminds me that no matter where I am in my life, no matter how overwhelmed I feel, God’s plan is greater. Actually, I got this tattoo as a reminder of a time I was so depressed that I had planned to end my own life, but instead chose to turn to my family and God.

I know this is pretty heavy for daily inspiration, but I tell you this because I know that I am not the only one with a history of depression, especially in our society today. Specifically, I tell you this because I am still here for the same reason the widow in today’s First Reading did not commit suicide. You see, when Elijah met the widow, she had already decided to use the last of her flour to bake a cake that would kill both herself and her son. She was convinced that her life of struggle could not go on any longer. She would not put herself, nor her son, through famine and more tragedy.

When I read that the widows was about to “go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die,” I immediately wanted to cry. I had been there. I had gotten to that point. For years, I had felt as though my life had no purpose or direction. Yet, God had a plan.

God sent Elijah to this widow because he knew she had planned to die. The widow instead chose to tell Elijah of her internal struggle, and Elijah tells her not to be afraid, citing God’s words in order to remind her that God would provide for her. In a similar way, when I told my parents, they told me that everything would be okay; that God has a plan for me and put people in my life so that I would always be loved and protected.

It was soon after telling my parents about my depression that, through the church bulletin, my mother found a retreat titled, “God’s Plan For Me.” Going to this retreat reminded me that I was not alone. It reminded me that God knew what he was doing by giving me challenges. My life was never meaningless, and struggle was never a reason to give up.

Unfortunately, this newfound hope did not make everything instantly perfect. I still had a harsh reality to deal with. I had just graduated university and had no job lined up, so I moved back home. Being surrounded by my supportive, faith-filled family was a wonderful, yet difficult choice. Quite honestly, I hadn’t planned on living this long and had no idea how I was going to pay my bills, especially in a town with a population of less than 300! But as always, God had a plan.

Within a week of moving home, my hometown parish office called me and asked if I was interested in their part-time position as bulletin editor. I remember saying yes and crying thankful tears of joy when I hung up the phone. Using the bulletin, Our Heavenly Father had not only found a way to remind me that my life was worth living, but had also given me a job and further added purpose to my life.

Once I began working at the parish, I promised myself that wherever I worked next would be a Catholic company so that I could help God’s people the same way he helped me. I wanted to “pay it forward” ten-fold. This is how I ended up moving over a thousand miles for the opportunity to work at Diocesan. Funnily enough, though applying for Catholic jobs across the country, Diocesan was the only bulletin company I applied for. Coincidence? I prefer the term “act of God.”

Our Lord did not create us, his pride and joy, so that he could watch us struggle. He did not create us to be alone and keep our struggles to ourselves. Nor did God did not create you, or me, so that we would lose hope. He created us with everlasting love and undeniable purpose. As my favorite verse, Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds us to “be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.” The powerful I AM is greater than our highs and our lows. He is always there, always watching and always ready to remind us that we have purpose and hope. God always has a plan.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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On the internet there are a lot of jokes, tweets and memes that touch on the topic of cutting toxic people off. These social media commentaries are all about cutting bad friends, ex-boyfriends, etc., out of your life without ever looking back. So then, this begs the question: Is today’s reading giving us permission to cut people out of our lives? Is he giving us the magical solution and telling us how to say, “bye, Felicia” to mean people? Is this the bible-given answer on how to do this?

I thought so at first. Then as I read closer I realized…hmm…strange…today’s Gospel doesn’t seem to mention personal vendettas against people. Nor does it talk about banishing evil people from your presence.  Also, it’s definitely not about cutting your coworker out of your life because they stole your parking spot three weeks ago. In fact, the Gospel reading isn’t about others at all. It’s about cutting our own evil out of our lives.

Jesus begins by saying that anyone who does good will be rewarded, most likely with the best gift of all. The gift of everlasting life…entering those pearly gates…joining Jesus and the saints in heaven…meeting our Heavenly Father. But Jesus quickly moves on to say that anyone who causes others to sin should be weighted with rocks and thrown into the ocean to die. In fact, he literally says that if we lead others to sin, we may “go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.” Yes, that’s right. Jesus just told sin-spreaders to go to hell.

Now, as someone who has only lived for 24 years, I may not know much, but I do know that going to hell is the complete opposite of my entire life’s goal. Now that I know this reading is not about cutting others out of my life, but my own personal bad habits, I feel a little scared. As most people, I don’t deeply reflect on how my bad habits affect others. I mean I know if I tell my brother to skip Mass, I am the cause of his sin, but I never considered the effect of my own decision not to go.

For example, I know that if I tell my brother to skip Mass and stay at home to binge watch a show, I am the cause of his sin. What I do not consider is if it was my own choice to skip Mass, and he did too, although I did not ask him to, that I would be the cause of his sin. Although not verbal or physically causing others to sin, the example of our lives may.  

Thinking harder, I wonder how many times I started a conversation with the intention of picking a fight, or how many times I caused others to gossip or curse just because I was. All these times, I was doing exactly what Jesus warned me of.

So the next time you’re about to tell your friend some juicy gossip, remind yourself that you would rather not be the kind of person who Jesus tells to go to hell. Instead, cut yourself off mid-sentence and be an example of Christ. Be the person who glorifies God and receives the gift of everlasting life.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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As a young adult currently in the “dating phase,” today’s Gospel immediately reminded me of a romantic relationship. I know for a fact that even now, I ask my boyfriend of two years, “Do you love me?” to which he replies, “Of course.” Yet, I do not stop there. I ask again, “Okay, but do you really love me?” to which he replies, “Of course I love you.” When I ask it a third time, he looks at me and says, “Veronica, you know I love you. Every morning I wake up, I choose to love you. Did I do something wrong? Is this because I brushed crumbs onto the floor?”

The same thing would happen if your child were to ask you. After the second time, and especially after the third time, you begin to wonder if you’re doing something wrong. You begin to think of all the times you messed up and wonder if this is the cause of doubt. You elaborate your answer instead of just saying “of course.” You think harder and you come up with more ways to express your love because you know in your heart that you truly do love your child, your spouse, your boy/girlfriend.

I think Jesus knew this natural reaction and used it so that Peter would justify and elaborate on his love for Jesus. It was not that Jesus was feeling insecure about their relationship. As Peter said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” So, we are reminded that it was not Jesus that needed to hear the affirmation, but Peter.

At this point, Peter has already denied knowing Christ three times, before his crucifixion. Jesus has forgiven him, but now that Peter is about about to become the new shepherd of Jesus’ flock, Jesus must ask this again. In agreeing to feed and tend to his sheep, Peter agrees to taking care of all Catholics, for the rest of his life, until the end of his life. Everything he knows was about to change forever and Jesus wanted to make Peter call to mind all the reasons he loved Jesus. This way he remembers all the reasons that would make becoming a leader and dying for his faith, worth it.

So now, coming back to our own lives, I think we need to play both roles and ask ourselves, do I love Jesus? It may feel silly, but how often are we asked these exact words? In fact, it is rare that our words prove anything. Instead, it is our actions that define us.

The first time we reflect upon this question, you may say: Well, yes, of course I love Jesus. I am Catholic, afterall. I go to Mass and I can say the rosary. Yup, I love Jesus.

The second time, consider your response with more thought and vigor. Do I really love Jesus? Take a view at your life and your choices. Do they reflect your love of Christ, or do they show a denial of him?

Finally, ask yourself a third time; Do I truly, honestly, wholeheartedly love Jesus? Do my actions reflect my love of Christ, or do they show a denial of him? Am I like Peter, denying my Lord and Savior in public, just to escape my own persecution? If so, have I moved past the reasons I previously denied him, or is there something that is stopping me from fully accepting the Catholic faith? If so, what is it?

So find a quiet place where you can really reflect upon today’s Gospel and honestly ask yourself: Do I love Jesus? Because he is waiting for me to accept leading others in the Catholic faith, as Peter did. Do I love Jesus? Because he has already forgiven me for denying him. Do I love Jesus? Because he loves me.

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Veronica Alvarado is a born and raised Texan currently living in Michigan. Since graduating from Texas A&M University, Veronica has published various articles in the Catholic Diocese of Austin’s official newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, and other local publications. She now works as the Content Specialist in Diocesan’s Web Department.

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