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Sitting in Mass the other evening, All Soul’s Day, my son was a bundle of energy. He has been educated as to how to behave in Mass and usually does fine. However, this particular Mass was proving to be exceptionally challenging for him. I found myself correcting him multiple times culminating in the dreaded “mom stare of seriousness.” All I kept thinking was how badly I wanted to shout “why can’t you pay attention?” “Don’t you realize what is happening here?”

It was in this moment of frustration that I heard the Lord speak to me saying tell me about it. How often has God felt frustrated by my lack of focus and concentration? If I’m honest probably daily. What about you? Do you always pay attention?

Life makes it difficult. There is always something or someone vying for my attention. Try as I might even my prayer time often gets interrupted either by an outside force or by my own inner thoughts bouncing around inside my head. I’m sure God has wanted to call down from the clouds, ” Hey, can’t you pay attention even for a little while?”

How patient is our God.

Logic tells me that my son is still young and can’t help he has so much energy. In a way his inability to keep still is expected. Yet, I can’t help but have the expectation that he should be the poster child for good behavior. Is this how God considers us?

He created us and became like us. Surely he knows our propensity to lose focus and not fully appreciate the moment. But not fully paying attention at a work meeting is very different than not paying attention to the extraordinary sacrifice taking place in Holy Mass.

I say again, God is so very patient.

Just as our children need gentle reminders to pay attention in Mass and be on their best behavior, we also need the reminder. Are we able to be truly present in the moment?

Our daily lives are filled with so many “moments” especially when concerning our children. What are we making of them? Are we paying attention to our children, our spouse, our neighbor? Do we realize the significance of the moments we spend with these individuals? Moments so fleeting and not assured of happening a second time.

God interacts with us every day in the most basic of ways.

Are we aware?

Friends, consider this your reminder, minus the “mom stare,” to pay attention and be aware of what’s happening around you. Be present in the lives of your children and family members. Listen intently, play together, make a mess, laugh and cry, connect. Paying attention means you won’t miss out on the fruits of these interactions.

So the next time you catch yourself daydreaming during Mass or going over your To Do list while saying your prayers remember that God deserves your full attention too. And while you’re at it, thank Him for his unending patience and love for you!

Blessings to You and Yours!

During my prayer podcast listening experience yesterday we read from Romans 12: 11-12. Paul, in the previous verses was instructing the early Christians in everyday life. It is here in verse 11 that Paul reminds us to persevere in our zeal for the Lord and to live our lives accordingly.

Did you know that a byproduct of zeal, i.e., living for the Lord is joy? A simple, three-lettered word. Joy can be contagious. It’s hard to be around someone who is full of joy and not be uplifted by them.

I think Paul reinforces the need for zeal of the Lord still in our own time. In our fear-driven reality spurred by the pandemic, now more than ever we need to be bringers of joy to our world. In choosing to express our love for the Lord, by spreading joy to those around us, we are providing for God’s people. Our world needs a reason to smile. The people of our world are hungering for a sense of relief from the turmoil all around.

Wherever we find ourselves now, be it an “essential” worker, someone battling illness, or someone quarantined, we can spread the beautiful message of the Gospels by bringing joy to those in need.

It’s okay if you aren’t necessarily feeling very zealous yourself, the Holy Spirit will guide you. Open your hearts and ask God to use you as a means to help another. Trust that He will lead you. May we all be bringers of joy in our weeks and months ahead.

Blessings to You and Yours!

The past year and a half I have felt as if I were perpetually waiting. I have been working on moving in a new direction, career wise, and that kind of thing requires time. In my case, a year and a half to be exact. During this time I diligently took an online course that took longer than advertised and was littered with technical woes. Thus began my own advent, my own anticipation of the the ‘good’ that was surely on its way.

But life changed, not just for me and my family, but for humanity at large. Enter COVID-19. Suddenly I found myself waiting on the news agencies to update us on the crisis. I began waiting in lines at the local grocery stores to purchase essential items (Read Toilet Paper). I began waiting to hear the status of the hospital system my husband worked for, eager to know of his safety.

As a few weeks turned into a few months my waiting continued. Now I find myself waiting on government assistance. I am waiting on landing a job in my new career field. I am waiting for extracurricular activities to begin again, especially those beloved by my children. I am waiting for some semblance of the world I knew before the pandemic.

I think a lot of us find ourselves in this state of constant waiting. We are yearning for a return to our formal way of life before “Safer at Home” government mandates, Lysol cleaning product shortages, and face masks.

And so it is, that while meditating upon even further personal items on my wait list that I realized the irony of Christmas in July. How had I overlooked this? Those dedicated Hallmark Channel fans know what I’m talking about. This is July after all. We are allowed and encouraged to spend the month revisiting classic holiday films in eager anticipation of the coming season.

Putting it into a more spiritual context, I have been living the season of Advent for quite a while. I have been and continue to anticipate something better in my life. I long for what is to come beyond our current pandemic-riddled world. Just as the world longed for a Savior and holy men and women anticipated His coming, I am reminded of how that story ends. The long-awaited Savior enters our world and redeems us all. Because of Him we have hope and with hope we can persevere.

Friends, if you find yourself in a season of waiting know that you are not alone. Know that God is with you and that because of His son, our Savior, we have hope. Trust in that gift and know that we are promised that ‘something better’ on the other side. For now, as we wait, let us pray for patience, guidance, and trust.

May the Holy Spirit deepen our faith and hope in Christ. May our longings for the things of this world never surpass the longing to share eternity with our God in Heaven.

Blessings to You and Yours!

It’s 1 a.m. and I can hear the beautiful songs of birds outside my window. I find it strange, as it is not a sound I usually hear in my neighborhood at this hour.

For the past two nights my youngest has had need of me in the pre-dawn, early morning hours. As this is fairly uncharacteristic, I find myself reflecting on just that, among other things, whilst the birds sing on in the background.

As the minutes tick by I begin to reflect on the day’s events as well as what is to come for tomorrow. Daily reflection is a common practice among mothers, as I have come to learn from other moms. It is a practice that comes naturally and is often done as ritualistically as applying night creme.

It is usually during this self evaluation that “mom guilt” is at it’s zenith and our inner demons find their voice. Did I perform my daily duties out of love for my family or did I do them begrudgingly? Did I speak kindly to members of my family today? Was I able and willing to give my kids and spouse my full attention and time? Would I have made a good impression before God today, as one of His followers, as I went about my daily life? Sound familiar? These nighttime musings can really hit below the belt sometimes and leave us feeling defeated despite our best efforts.

In addition to these assessments, I tend to mull over my list of obligations for the next day. Many times I make resolutions on how to conduct myself in a manner better than the day before. I will make sure I spend more time playing with my son. I will take the extra time to prepare a healthy meal for the family. I will make the time to do a fun activity alongside my daughter. I will put my phone down and really focus on what my husband has to say, even when I disagree, etc., etc.

Resolutions are beautiful and meaningful and they help us to reach our goals, but I am just one person, and it doesn’t take long to feel overwhelmed. That’s when I began listening to the birds singing outside my window. In that moment I felt God was reminding me to breath and to just listen. He was serenading me, reassuring me that He was there and that He wants to help. All I needed to do was breath and then lean on Him.

The Psalms tell us to not be anxious about anything but, instead, pray about everything. We are told to cast our burdens onto the shoulders of God and to trust Him will all our many concerns and fears. During His ministry, Jesus reminded us of this in Matthew’s Gospel chapter 11 verses 28 and 30: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest,” and “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

I closed my eyes and began to listen more intently to the beautiful melodies outside my window. In the stillness I prayed, a simple prayer, one I made up on the spot, asking God to lift my many burdens and to deepen my trust in Him, that I may experience true peace and be able to rest through the night trusting in His promise.

Did I experience God’s peace immediately? I can’t say. But I did feel a lightness and a deep sense of calm, and I can’t recall much beyond that simple prayer, which tells me I drifted off to sleep happily and without the heaviness of anxiety and worry.

To say that I am no longer afflicted by anything adverse or worrisome because of this early morning encounter with God would be false. Surrendering to God is a daily practice and choice. He invites us all to trust Him with all of our concerns as a means of uncomplicating our lives. It is up to us whether or not we accept.

How often have you looked at your children and thought how wonderful it would be to enjoy life with their same carefree attitude? They do not get bogged down with fear and anxiety as we do because they trust in you and me, their parents, to help them handle anything that feels too heavy for them.

God invites us as His children to come to Him with all life’s heaviness and let Him take care of it.

Friends, we owe it to ourselves to let go. Stop carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders. We don’t have to. You deserve a life free from the debilitating anxieties and fear that are often self-inflicted. God’s desire for His children is a life of happiness which can only be obtained when we closely follow Him and put our trust entirely in Him.

Whether you’re like me and tend to late-night (read early morning) muse, or you self assess all throughout the day, remember to take time to breath. Pause for a moment to offer a prayer of surrender to God. Make this a habit. Together, you and I can work toward becoming filled with the peace of God, promised to us as His sons and daughters.

Prayer for Peace of Mind and Heart

Eternal, Holy God,

I come to you burdened with worries, fears, doubts, and troubles. Calm and quiet me with peace of mind. Empty me of the anxiety that disturbs me, of the concerns that weary my spirit, and weigh heavy on my heart. Loosen my grip on the disappointments and grievances I hold on to so tightly.

Release me from the pain of past hurts, of present anger and tension, of future fears. Sometimes It’s too much for me Lord, too many demands and problems, too much sadness, suffering, and stress. Renew me spiritually and emotionally. Give me new strength, hope, and confidence. Prepare me to meet the constant struggles of daily life with a deeper faith and trust in you. Let your love set me free, for peace, for joy, for grace, for life, for others, forever.

Amen. –Catholic Doors Ministry–

Blessings to You and Yours!

“Lord, send out your Spirit, and renew the face of the earth.” Ps 104.

We take a moment to reflect upon this beautiful psalm today as we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost.

It is the Spirit of the Lord that was gifted to the apostles in the wake of Jesus returning to the Father. It is this same Spirit gifted to us on our Baptism as well as our confirmation day. We are told “they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim,” Acts 2:1-11, but they received so much more than that.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church names 7 distinct gifts bestowed upon the faithful by way of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of the Lord. One has but to glance at these gifts to realize they are most needed in our world today. Now more than ever we cry out to God, “Lord, send out your Spirit.”

The amount of violence in our world, the greed, selfishness, dishonesty, disregard for human life, egotism, pride, hatred, envy, etc., etc. Lord, please send us your Spirit to help us to navigate through the snares and treachery of our times. Help us to stay focused on what matters in our lives, that being, making our way back to Heaven and helping others to achieve the same goal.

Today, the church reminds us of our responsibility as confirmed, Catholic adults, to spread the message of Jesus right where we find ourselves. Who in your family or workplace needs the reassurance that they are loved by God? Which member of your family or which close friend needs some encouragement in their faith journey? How can you put into practice those 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit today?

Just as the apostles were freed of their fears and inhibitions upon receiving the Spirit of God so must we find ourselves.

In giving us the Holy Spirit, Jesus promises us that He will be with us until the end of time. What have we to fear then? Our world is broken. It is up to us to answer God’s call and to bring Jesus to the world by means of our lives.

May we persevere in being that example of God’s love in our worlds, actions, and deeds. May we strive to bring Christ to those around us, beginning in our own homes. May our example of faith be a living witness to the message of the Gospels.

May we, empowered and moved by the Holy Spirit, help to bring about the renewal of the earth and the peace of God to all mankind.

Blessings to You and Yours!

If you grew up in a Catholic household like mine, you probably learned the entire Our Father long before you could even spell your own name.

The Our Father is a prayer I have recited a few million times in my life and counting. While I have always revered it as the words Jesus gave us, I found myself drawn into the prayer anew today.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” I have generally read and recited these words quite literally. Jesus invites us to ask God to provide nourishment for our physical bodies. What if we venture to go a bit deeper here and posit that we are asking God to nourish our souls as well with the “bread sent down from heaven”? What if, in fact, we are asking the Father for physical and spiritual nourishment.

He gave us His son, Jesus, with the intention of Him providing His people with “living bread” in which, once eaten, we would never hunger.

Today, I realized the depth of this beloved prayer. I thank God for His gently nudge, inviting me to venture deeper into His words.

May Jesus, “the living bread come down from Heaven,” fill you this day with all your soul is longing for.

Blessings to You and Yours!

We read from John’s Gospel this week Ch. 6 verses 22-59. Jesus refers to Himself over and over again as The Bread of Life sent from the Father to give eternal life to those who believe. But what did He mean by referring to Himself as bread?

First, Jesus meant to mention Himself as sustenance quite literally. “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.” JN 6:55. The Jewish people were confounded by this statement. How could they be expected to eat the flesh of Jesus and to drink of his blood and yet all they needed to do was to be reminded of the Passover celebration of their ancestors. Did they not feast on the meat of the sacrificial lamb in Egypt? They literally consumed the meat of the unblemished lamb they sacrificed to God.

Jesus, though blameless and without sin, was made a sacrifice to God for the forgiveness of sins. Jesus declared to his disciples at the last supper, “This is my body, which will be given for you, do this in memory of me.” Luke 22:19. Here Jesus alludes to His sacrificial offering to God for the sake of mankind. He then commands them to continue this breaking of bread in memory of Him.

Enter the Eucharist.

At each Mass we participate in, the sacrifice of Jesus is made to the Father by means of the priest at the altar. In receiving Holy Communion, we are taking in that which cements our relationship with God, the body and blood of Jesus, hidden beneath the appearance of bread and wine.

Second, Jesus tells us “I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never hunger.” JN 6:30-35. Does this mean that as followers of Jesus we will never feel physical hunger? Of course not. Jesus was speaking of that spiritual hunger which we all have, given to us at birth, that drives us to search for fulfillment. Our modern culture tries to convince us that our internal voids can be filled with material things or sinful overindulgence. As followers of Christ we know differently.

By receiving Jesus in the Eucharist, we fill our souls with God! There is nothing to compare or equate. The intimacy we are afforded in that close encounter with our God came at a price, and that was the sacrifice made by Jesus on the cross. There is no greater act of love than this. It is when we receive our Lord in the Eucharist that we are filled with His Divine Grace enabling our spirits to be satiated with what we truly need.

Some of the happiest people on earth are those individuals who attend daily Mass. In receiving Jesus daily, they feel better equipped to handle the many demands and hardships of everyday life. Why is this? Their spirits are being properly nourished with their true life source. Praise be to God!

Lastly, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw Him, and I will raise him on the last day.” JN 6:44-51. Jesus assures us of the reward to be had by believing in Him and accepting His sacrifice as our salvation. Besides giving us His grace in the Eucharist, and promising to be with us in our temporal lives, He tells us in no uncertain terms that we will spend eternity in the presence of God.

Three weeks after Easter, we pause to reflect on the gravity of Jesus’s sacrifice. We ponder the deep love our God has for us as made evident through His son Jesus Christ. How does this knowledge of God’s desire to be with us impact our daily lives? Perhaps the readings of the past week have stirred our spirits and inspired us to better appreciate the gift of the Eucharist.

For those of us having to endure being cut-off from the sacrament during the pandemic, may we value the Eucharist that much more when the ban is lifted. In the meantime, continue to ask for Jesus to come into your life via a spiritual communion. You may even consider reciting The Stations of the Cross or The Chaplet of Divine Mercy as a personal devotion.

May we always respond with gratitude to the generosity of God, best displayed in the crucified sacrifice of His son. May we always cherish the Eucharist and never take it for granted.

Blessings to You and Yours!

Were not all the disciples incredibly relatable? Jesus handpicked followers that represented the average people of the day. By design, some two thousand years later, we see ourselves and our neighbors so accurately depicted.

Scripture tells us that two of Jesus’s disciples, three days after His death, went on a journey several miles from Jerusalem (Lk 24:13-25). On their way they began to discuss the events of the past few days with an apparent stranger they encountered. They are unaware that this fellow traveller is indeed Jesus. This “stranger” ministers to them as they walk on and discusses all the prophetic references of His death and resurrection that appeared in their sacred books.

For these two disciples this was their first encounter with the risen Lord. We wonder when reading this how they could have missed the fact that Jesus was physically present alongside them. Perhaps Jesus chose to appear physically different than He was. Surely, His profound extrapolation of scripture would have made them wonder who this stranger was. And yet, they completely miss it.

How often have we come upon a stranger and failed to see Jesus within that person? Have we allowed our own prejudices and judgments to cloud our perceptions and in so doing missed an opportunity to experience God?

In Luke’s Gospel, we are told that the disciples invite Jesus to stay with them and dine as night was fast-approaching. It’s then that Jesus takes bread, blesses it, breaks it, and reveals himself to them. No sooner do the disciples realize the Lord that “he vanished from their sight.” In their shock the disciples question one another, “were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Do you find yourself relating to these disciples yet? Jesus journeyed alongside them the entire day and they could not see Him. While Jesus disguised His appearance, His ministering on the scriptures should have been enough for them to recognize the Lord.

How often do we fail to see Jesus when He is in plain sight. How often we cannot see Him in the faces of our neighbors, friends and families. Think of the many times we have neglected to see Him in the faces of the elderly, sick, imprisoned, unemployed, migrant, homeless, etc. What of the times we could not recognize Him through the ministering of His elected officials within the church, especially the Pope. The things of our natural world resound the magnificence of Jesus and yet we rush through our lives rarely pausing to take in a radiant sunset or beautifully lit night sky.

The disciples do not fully recognize Jesus until the breaking of bread. Not until He repeats the actions of the last supper is the veil lifted from their eyes. Luke’s Gospel tells us that once they make the connection, Jesus disappears. They must have been shell-shocked. Had they really been in the physical presence of the Lord the entire day? Was that not the proof they needed to assure them of the truth of the resurrection? The statement they utter is so beautiful, “were our hearts not burning.” That kind of reaction to an encounter with God is so humanly genuine, giving us another chance to see ourselves in the reaction of the disciples.

If you have ever encountered Christ at any time on your journey of life, you should be able to attest to the acclamation of your “heart burning.” The Lord wants that type of reaction for us as a way of connecting with us. An experience such as this becomes a part of who we are as only a strong emotional connection can. Think of the first time you fell in love or the first time you held your newborn child. Those emotions were so strong that they withstand the test of time.

The disciples would never forget the way in which Jesus ministered to them just three days after His death. Every time we attend Mass and the priest consecrates the bread and wine Jesus again reveals Himself to us, His disciples. When we partake of the bread and wine, Jesus chooses to stay with us physically for a few brief moments. Do we respond with awe and wonder as the disciples did? Or do we fail to recognize Jesus? Are we going through the motions, more interested in watching people process up the aisle or read the church bulletin? In what way do we respond to that intimate encounter with Jesus?

We are Jesus’s disciples and as such we are to follow Him. He speaks to us every time we read the scriptures. Are we listening? Do we make the time to read the word of God? Believing the word of Jesus that we are all made in the image and likeness of God, do we see God present in those we live with and encounter each day?

Jesus gave us the sacraments and His church as a means of staying close to His disciples. May the word of God encountered through the ministry of the church serve to enkindle the fire of our own hearts. A fire emblazoned by the word of God made flesh and that we are privileged to receive in the Eucharist.

Adopt the practice of daily scripture reading and reflection. Ask God what He wants to tell you each day. You will find that all too soon your own spirit will come alive with zeal for the living word of God, Jesus Christ.

Blessings to You and Yours!