Family Living

July 19, 2023

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jesus, after chastising those religious experts who have rejected him, rejected God, now turns to the Father praising those who are childlike, open to all that Jesus say and does in the name of the Father. Their innocence allows them to be open.

You bless us with open minds and hearts that lead us further into friendship with you.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Jesus heals

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

“By calling sinners to his table, [Jesus] heals them, restoring to them the vocation that they believed had been lost and which the Pharisees had forgotten: that of being guests at God’s banquet.” — Pope Francis

Reflection: With whom do you share meals on a regular basis? How are your interactions at table similar to or different from God’s healing banquet?

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

700 years after being declared a saint, St. Thomas Aquinas hailed for his contributions to Catholic thought

Wed, 19 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Maria Wiering

(OSV News) — “He was the world’s flower and glory, and has rendered superfluous the writings of doctors (of theology) who shall come after him.” St. Albert the Great is said to have exclaimed these words upon the news of the death of St. Thomas Aquinas , his former student, in 1274 at age 48.

July 18 marks the 700th anniversary of St. Thomas’ canonization, and expert Thomists — those who study and teach St. Thomas’ work in philosophy and theology — say the Dominican priest who dedicated his life to writing and teaching has had an unparalleled influence on Catholic thought.

St. Thomas is best known for his Summa Theologiae , a summary of theology that covers God, creation, humanity, man’s purpose, Christ and the sacraments. He also wrote many other works addressing disputed questions and on the nature of particular things, as well as philosophical and Biblical commentaries. He also crafted several hymns, especially on the mystery of the Eucharist, including Tantum Ergo Sacramentum and “Godhead Here in Hiding.”

“He still is an incredibly rich resource for the thinking of the Church, both philosophically and theologically, and spiritually,” said Dominican Father Brian Shanley, president of St. John’s University in New York and an Aquinas scholar, noting that St. Thomas and St. Augustine stand out as “the two giants in the Catholic tradition.”

“I think a lot of people still think Aquinas has the final answer, if you will, and even if you don’t think he does, you have to know him to be conversant with Catholic thought,” Father Shanley said.

The life of St. Thomas

St. Thomas was born in 1225 near Aquino, Italy, into a noble family who expected him to gain power as a Benedictine abbot like his uncle. However, after receiving an impressive education at the nearby Benedictine abbey and the University of Naples, at age 19 he joined the Dominicans, then a relatively new mendicant order, embracing poverty and itinerant preaching. His appalled family members arranged for him to be kidnapped and locked in their castle in Roccasecca, but he would not recant. Infamously, his desperate brothers hired a prostitute to seduce him, and he chased her away with a firebrand.

Eventually, his parents relented, and he went first to Paris and then to Cologne, Germany, to study under St. Albert, a fellow Dominican and renowned and wide-ranging philosopher who was working to relate Arabic and ancient Greek philosophy to Catholic thought. In 1252, with the recommendation of this mentor — whom, Father Shanley said, had recognized his student’s remarkable intellectual gifts and that he would surpass him — St. Thomas returned to Paris to study theology.

St. Thomas earned a doctorate at the University of Paris, where he also taught until 1259, when he returned to Italy to teach in Dominican houses of study in Anagni, Orvieto, Rome and Viterbo. He returned to Paris in 1268, where he worked on the Summa Theologiae and wrote commentaries on Aristotle’s major works. Four years later, he went to Naples, where, around December 1273, he famously stopped writing after a vision during Mass, leaving his Summa incomplete. A few months later, in March 1274, he died at the Cistercian Abbey of Fossanova, en route to the Second Council of Lyon.

Commentary on the great philosophers

John Boyle, professor of Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and author of the recently published “Aquinas on Scripture: A Primer,” said St. Thomas’ work stands out for its “stunning clarity” and breadth. Others before him, including St. Augustine, had endeavored to explore creation’s order and relationship to God, but scholars of the High Middle Ages were unique in the discipline they applied to their pursuit, Boyle said.

At the same time, they were “bombarded with new knowledge that could have just intellectually … overwhelmed the culture,” Boyle said, as newly translated work from the Greek church fathers, as well as Judaic, Arabic and classical pagan sources, flooded the West, and intellectuals scrambled to make sense of it.

St. Thomas is especially known for bringing the works of Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) into dialogue with the Christian tradition, a key component of his enduring contribution to Catholic thought, said Dominican Father Romanus Cessario, a theology professor at Ave Maria University in Florida and member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas, an institute the Holy See founded to study its namesake.

“Unlike any of the theologians that preceded him in the early Middle Ages, and surely in the patristic period, (St. Thomas) found a way of uniting faith and reason that was unique, and which can be explained fundamentally by his option for Aristotle over Plato and Platonic writers, including St. Augustine, who have a conception of the Christian life that makes it difficult to express the full implications of the Incarnation,” he said.

Plato didn’t appreciate the material world as Aristotle did, Father Cessario explained. Even without the benefit of modern science, he said, Aristotle “extracted from his observations (of the natural world) principles that are sound” for philosophical and theological thinking.

St. Thomas developed Aristotle’s principles and distinctions to articulate an understanding of God, humanity and the world.

“The reason he (St. Thomas) is so important to the church is that he saw how everything from God to dirt is ordered and related in significant and intelligible ways,” Boyle said. “It starts with God. You get the first cause right, you start to see how everything else stands in an ordered and intelligible way, and then you can order your own thinking, your own understanding, in accord with reality; because you can judge what this is, how it stands in relation to other things, and then order your own knowledge.”

While some might make the mistake of reducing St. Thomas to “a brain on a stick,” Boyle said, the priest was also profoundly holy, hence his canonization 49 years after his death.

“He would have been a genius in any culture, anywhere. (He’s) one of the great geniuses of human history, period. That doesn’t make you a saint,” Boyle said. “All that genius is put to the service of the church to test the vehicle of truth. There’s this incredible unity of life — intellectual life, spiritual life, sacramental life. He thinks about them all. He lives them all.”

‘A man of God’

Sister Elinor Gardner, a member of the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia who teaches philosophy at the University of Dallas, said she first encountered St. Thomas through his writings as an undergraduate philosophy student, but it wasn’t until she became a Dominican that she fully appreciated him as a “spiritual guide.”

“We do think of him as identical with his writings, with his thought, but he is first and foremost a holy man, a man of God,” she said. “In his own life, he first prayed and studied the Scriptures, meditated on the Scriptures, before teaching. That in and of itself is an important reminder for me as a Dominican, and for all who want to teach the faith, that we need to first live it.”

Sister Elinor pointed to a famous vision St. Thomas had of Christ speaking to him from a crucifix, saying, “‘You’ve written well of me, Thomas; what would you have as your reward?’ He replied, ‘Only yourself, Lord.'”

“That really sums up his whole life,” she said.

St. Thomas’ clarity makes him both accessible to students and contemporary thinkers wrestling with emerging questions posed by new developments in knowledge and technology, she said.

‘Master of thought’

In 1567, Pope Pius V proclaimed St. Thomas a Doctor of the Church, signifying the importance of his writings to advancing the cause of Christ. In 1879, Pope Leo XIII issued Aeterni Patris , which included accolades for St. Thomas’ thought and contributions and, the following year, the pope declared him the worldwide patron of all Catholic universities, colleges and schools.

In his 1998 encyclical Fides et Ratio (“Faith and Reason”), St. John Paul II likewise held the “Angelic Doctor” aloft, calling St. Thomas “a master of thought and a model of the right way to do theology,” and applauded the way he reconciled “the secularity of the world and the radicality of the Gospel, thus avoiding the unnatural tendency to negate the world and its values while at the same time keeping faith with the supreme and inexorable demands of the supernatural order.”

On June 6, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, as his special papal envoy to the Abbey of Fossanova, Italy, for the official celebration of the 700th anniversary of St. Thomas’ canonization. In the appointment letter, published July 11, the pope wrote that St. Thomas “shone with right intelligence and clearness, and while he reverently investigated the divine mysteries with reason, he contemplated them with fervent faith.”

Despite his incredible intellect and contribution to theology and philosophy, St. Thomas was also deeply humble. After his vision that compelled him to cease writing near the end of his life, the saint reportedly said, “All that I have written seems to me like straw compared with what has now been revealed to me.”

“We don’t know what he saw,” Boyle said, noting that he is grateful the church has St. Thomas’ profound “straw.” “My personal view is that he saw the beatific vision. … What he yearned for, what his entire life was ordered to, I think the Lord gave him a taste of it.”

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 18, 2023

Tue, 18 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 11:20-24

Jesus puts out a stern warning to the people in the Galilean cities. Their rejection of him, rejection of his Father will have consequences as has happened in the past. Are the mighty deeds he has done not enough for them to know him and to turn to him?

Rejection of you is so clear in this ongoing period of anger, repression and division. What will it take for us to realize there is nowhere to turn but to you?

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

How we can see more clearly

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

Have you ever looked through a pair of binoculars and marveled at how close something in the distance can appear? This impression is even stronger when we gaze at the stars through a telescope or view images recorded from satellites that are many miles above us in space. Suddenly, we find ourselves able to focus on something that was previously unapproachable. The object was there, we just could not perceive it without help.

Perhaps this is a good image for us to consider when we think about our faith in Christ. Without the vision of faith, God seems distant and unapproachable. When we develop eyes of faith, we see the world and all who dwell in it, and then perceive God’s creative hand. We interact with others and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit; we experience love, forgiveness and mercy through another or in a special way in the sacraments, and we know Christ in our midst.

When we keep our sight fixed on Christ, God is closer than we dare imagine. Such vision is a matter of faith, and of commitment. It is easy to lose this vision, due to difficult life circumstances or through simple indifference — we become numb to the glory of God and more readily see the things of the world, the activities of our lives, the mundane. Living in this way, we play it safe. When we are numb to God’s grace in our midst, the Gospel will not challenge us. We are more likely to be dissatisfied and unsettled in our lives, always seeking something that is beyond our grasp.
This month, think about how you might develop “binoculars” for your spiritual life — ways that will help you to fix your sight on Christ while keeping God’s love and the call to share it closely in your vision.

This article comes to you from Grace In Action ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 17, 2023

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 10: 34—11:1

What Jesus is saying in the final verses of his ministry discourse is difficult. His disciples are going off on his Father’s mission. They need to understand that there will be conflict and that for them and all those they encounter their loyalty to Jesus must be above all else.

Our family and friends are gifts to us, but we must embrace you as the source deserving of our love first and foremost.

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Seeing God in family

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

God of love,

we are your creation;

each person uniquely reflecting something of you.

Open my eyes

to see the glimmer of your glory in every person,

be they family or stranger.

Amen.

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Religious sisters bring joy and lifelong learning to senior residents

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by: Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller

When the first Sisters of Nazareth embraced the legacy of their founder Victoire Larmenier, they dedicated their lives to sharing the love of God through their ministries of care and education, and their “openness to the needs of the times.”

The needs of caring for the elderly then in the mid-19th century were different from the needs of 21st-century senior citizens, and contemporary sisters stepped up to those challenges at their senior living communities.

There’s a broadening focus in the overall industry on activities to keep residents engaged physically and intellectually. It’s a holistic approach that incorporates compassionate physical care with positive experiences to support a healthy lifestyle and stimulate the mind.

In Catholic senior living facilities, there are also opportunities for practicing the Faith and spiritual growth.

Activities for residents

The calendar is full of activities at Nazareth House San Diego, and residents take part in planning many of them.

“Our seniors love music, and they love the outdoors and nature walks. We are so fortunate with good weather in California so that we can have outdoor activities,” said Barbara Anne Crowley, CEO of Nazareth House and School USA.

Their senior homes in San Diego, Los Angeles and Fresno, California, have different levels of independent and assisted living, through palliative care and hospice. Owned and operated by the Sisters of Nazareth, they follow the religious community’s core values of love, patience, respect, compassion, hospitality and justice.

Familiar and new life experiences tailored to their levels of participation enrich the residents with life-long learning opportunities. Some are able to go on outings, while others have limitations.

“Our residents are coming in much older than before,” Crowley said. “They are coming in their 90s, and they are very active. Even if our seniors are immobile or frail, they can still take part in and enjoy humor and other activities. It’s special to them.”

A classical pianist or other musicians might be scheduled to perform one day. At other times, residents can learn flower arranging, have lively discussions on current events or at a book club, or find friendship in a men’s group. There are word games, bingo, simple exercises for staying fit, and trips into town.

Around holidays, residents welcome visits from youngsters in the preschool/kindergarten-third grade school located on the same grounds. The children make cards and drawings for the seniors there and also send them to the other two locations.

“We see the benefit for the children, and the benefit for the seniors, and we like to tie them together,” Crowley said about the intergenerational activities.

Catholic residents can attend daily Mass and participate in praying the Rosary or novenas. There are also opportunities for pastoral care from the sisters and retired diocesan priests who are in residence at Nazareth House.

A charism of humble service

The mission of Little Sisters of the Poor is to care for the elderly poor in the spirit of humble service, a charism received from their foundress St. Jeanne Jugan. According to their website , “We welcome the elderly as we would Jesus Christ himself and serve them with love and respect until God calls them home.”

Activities are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at their Jeanne Jugan Residence in Newark, Delaware. Residents are encouraged to live their lives as fully as they can with the many opportunities and to have input into what they are interested in doing.

That includes outings to stores and restaurants, in house games, visitor programs, discussion groups and more. They can be as busy as they want or are able to be.

“We try to mix it up a bit with active games, word games, exercises and some educational programs,” said activities director Danielle Shaw. “Everything we do benefits the residents so much by keeping them engaged and keeping their minds growing.”

Refreshments are served at the educational Chat and Chew program when people come in to present short programs on interesting topics.

“Our fairly new driver used to be employed by the FBI and she talked about what her job entailed, but nothing confidential,” Shaw said. “We also have One Day University that’s an online subscription service that features professors from all over the country. The residents like watching them.”

They have happy hours with refreshments and a time to just reminisce . One resident recently shared his experiences as a pin boy in a bowling alley, back in the days before automatic pinsetters. His job was to manually set up the pins that were knocked down.

“It was fun to just talk about that, and how they remembered going bowling,” Shaw said.

Word puzzles and brain games sharpen their minds even if they can’t figure out the solutions.

“I tell them that the important thing is that they are going through the process of thinking of the answer, not so much that they get the answer correct,” she said. “We encourage them to use their brain power.”

Finding joy in old age

Staff and family are invited to parties that are held almost every month, like a Father’s Day celebration and a tea party for Mother’s Day. One resident dressed up as the Easter Bunny for an egg hunt.

The Little Sisters of the Poor are involved in all the activities, too.

“They come for every party and they’re always walking past us when we’re doing things,” Shaw said. “They’ll attend trips, too, if we need an extra hand. We recently visited a horse farm and a few of the sisters came along and assisted.”

The activities, she added, are part of the mission of the Sisters of the Poor to meet the needs of the seniors with compassionate and person-centered care. Add to that the Masses, Rosaries and other opportunities for the Catholic residents to practice their faith.

“We make sure we are loving the residents with the love of Christ,” Shaw said. “It’s a pleasure to be able to serve them, and I love doing what I do. It’s not always easy at this stage of life to find joy in little things, especially when you are depending more upon someone to take care of you. It’s an honor to be able to do it for them.”

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 16, 2023

Sun, 16 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 13:1-23

The parable of the sower and seeds is the first part of Jesus’ parables about the kingdom. To make his point clear, Jesus uses images drawn from everyday life. The disciples question this teaching method. Jesus reminds them that they may not need the message spoken this way because they have the understanding that others do not.

We witness the fruits of your word. Let us pray for those who hear but do not understand and for those who choose not to listen at all.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 15, 2023

Sat, 15 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 10:24-33

Jesus tells his disciples that to become a disciple is to become like the master. He makes three points of encouragement each beginning with “Do not be afraid.” The kingdom of God will come, and the unbelievers will be revealed. Those who oppose you may destroy your bodies but not your souls. You will be judged by your fidelity to the mission.

“If you learn everything except Christ, you learn nothing. If you learn nothing except Christ, you learn everything.” St. Bonaventure

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July 14, 2023

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 10:16-23

Jesus continues to prepare the apostles for the mission by telling them what to expect. It will not be easy. Though they will encounter persecution, hatred and betrayal, they must remain confident in the Spirit who will give them what they need and vindicate them when God’s kingdom comes.

In this world where lies and falsehoods are the norm, I pray to always have the courage to speak the truth boldly. St. Kateri, pray for us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Longing for God and his nourishment

Fri, 14 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Father Joshua J. Whitfield

The word of God is like seed, the soul like soil.

Church fathers such as St. Basil the Great and Origen talked about something they called the logos spermatikos . A Stoic idea, changed a bit; for theologians like St. Basil the logos spermatikos was a gift given to believers by God, the implanted gift of desiring God. Made by nature, and then by grace, to yearn for God, to say we’re bearers of the logos spermatikos names our spiritual restlessness, explaining why we just can’t help but to seek the spiritual, to seek God, no matter how hard we try not to.

It’s an organic image, earthy . It reminds us that our spiritual restlessness runs deep, that our spiritual and religious lives are woven into our muscles and bones as much as our intellects. That is, we naturally long for God and his nourishment, even in fleshly brokenness, like dry land longs for rain. The spiritual life is not merely academic, intellectual, rational; it’s more. To become religious, to become a believer, requires more than a mere download of information, the examination of evidence. Belief is a more mysteriously natural thing than that; it’s supernatural. Like the growth of a flower, it’s easy enough to explain photosynthesis and its cell biology, harder to explain why it’s so beautiful, why it exists at all.

Planting truth

This fits with what Isaiah says about the word of God. He, too, employs the earthy and organic to talk about the spiritual. As seed makes the earth fruitful, as bread makes the body healthy, “so shall my word be,” the prophet says. Again the image is simple, primitive, reminding us of our more organic spiritual beginnings, that our spiritual awakening began less among the clean philosophers of reason and more among the rustic piety of farmers. It reminds us that spiritual longing is ordinary, that you can be as spiritual as any philosopher or theologian. In one sense, it’s just a simile, just an image; but it is indeed more, for it reminds us that it’s natural, indeed fully human, to be a spiritual person.

Which, of course, is why Jesus talks like Isaiah, why he, too, speaks in this organic, earthy manner. Because he’s speaking to ordinary people. Jesus is not a political leader, a guru or a philosopher; he’s more a farmer, a sower of seeds. He doesn’t merely offer us information to consider; he plants truth within us. Because his word is seed , and our souls are soil. Because the spiritual life is not merely the life of the mind.

An invitation

Which means what to us though? How does this change the way we think about and live our spiritual lives? Well, it means that when we listen to Jesus talk about “rocky ground” and “thorns” and “rich soil,” we understand that he’s not talking only about some immaterial, mystical, solely intellectual spiritual danger. Rather, he’s talking about everything that hinders or helps us receive the word of God, everything from the most mundane (like our screen addiction, our gluttony, our lust) to the most esoteric and theological (like contemplating the mysteries of the Faith). What obstructs our receiving God’s word? It’s more likely some little comfort that keeps us from praying or serving than, say, some theological or ethical conundrum. Things like that are more likely our rocky ground, our thorns — those everyday things that keep us from God.

The parable is not hard to understand. It simply requires faith. Then one is able to look at oneself to see honestly what’s getting in the way of the word of God; then one is able to see how his or her soul is like soil. Is it choked by worldly anxiety, worldly cares? Is it so distracted and unfocused, so undisciplined and prayerless it can’t really accept God’s word with anything other than shallow joy? The parable is an invitation to examine ourselves, our conscience, and our entire lives. The parable reminds us that everything is on the table, and that we must be honest about it all and let God prune us like the good farmer he is. So that we might grow finally beautiful, just as we were created to be.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 13, 2023

Thu, 13 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 10:7-15

The apostles’ mission is an extension of Jesus’ mission. They are to preach the coming of God’s kingdom and heal the sick. Their discipleship is a gift that they are to extend to others. To focus fully on the work, they must let go of their own needs. Theirs will be taken care of.

We thank you for calling us to journey with you. It is a gift that we must share with others by inviting them to join us with you.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 12, 2023

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 10:1-7

Discipleship involves mission. Jesus’ disciples have witnessed not only his power but also his compassion toward the people. He passes on the authority he received from his Father. Jesus calls each of The Twelve by name and sends them out to preach, teach and heal.

As the first were empowered to bring the people into relationship with God, so are we, today, commissioned to bring people the good news.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

‘Thoughts and prayers’: What good are they?

Wed, 12 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Lisa M. Hendey

(OSV News) In a world where the 24/7 news cycle offers a ceaseless tide of disasters, a natural Christian inclination has become a polarizing catchphrase. Whether the news is yet another senseless mass shooting , a disastrous act of nature, or the illness of a loved one, there’s a one-size-fits-all, yet real, response: prayer.

Unfortunately, our urge to send our “thoughts and prayers” over social media is such a common and reflexive response that it has become devalued in the eyes of many. Wikipedia even has a “Thoughts and Prayers” entry, tracking times when the words have been offered seemingly in place of actual assistance or intentional corrective action.

Meant as a consolation, the words “thoughts and prayers” are often seen as a senseless murmur offered in place of greatly needed societal change.

I’m guilty of being quick to send “thoughts and prayers” in my timelines. The phrase is such a part of my lexicon that it’s become predictive text in my smartphone. I use it nearly every day on social media feeds, where the needs of others seem to rise to the top of my algorithm, like a strangely theological cream. The needs of friends feel omnipresent. Helpless to assist otherwise, I offer “thoughts and prayers,” hoping to convey my nearness, even when I am far away.

But in my haste to be compassionate, I’m too often guilty of typing these words thoughtlessly and moving along without stopping to truly pray. Lately, I’m challenging myself to do something more than clicking the prayer emoji when I’m met with the suffering of others.

But I haven’t given up on “thoughts and prayers.” Being on the receiving end of hundreds of such offerings following my recent cancer diagnosis has convinced me that the message matters. When I began to share my news publicly, hundreds of digital “thoughts and prayers” came my way, and they made all the difference in the world.

“Thoughts and prayers” came to me through social media and filled my email inbox. My mailbox overflowed with cards and letters carrying thoughts and prayers into our home. My phone blew up with thoughtful and prayerful calls and texts. “Thoughts and prayers” have buoyed me in moments of pain and fear, wrapping me in a blanket of love when I truly needed to be surrounded by support and to feel God’s presence.

Experiencing illness can be an exercise in extreme isolation. Meaning to let someone rest undisturbed, we may forget that our presence to others, even in writing, is an irreplaceable balm. In his 1999 Message to the Young People of Israel and Palestine , St. John Paul II wrote, “None of us is alone in this world. Each of us is a vital piece of the great mosaic of humanity as a whole.” As hours ran into days and weeks during my recovery, I reread many thoughtful lines sent my way during my surgery. Too weak to reply, I had the very real sense of a flock of loved ones not only thinking of me but also being emotionally and spiritually present to me. I was reminded that I do not face this challenge alone.

Prayers are even more precious. I will likely never have a chance to thank everyone who has prayed for me, but their thoughts, their prayers have blessed me when I was too infirm to pray for myself.

Priest friends have offered their Masses on my behalf. Loved ones have included me in the intercessory prayers at their churches and put me on scores of prayer lists. One very dear friend regularly sends me cards from the chapel where she remembers me at her weekly hour of Eucharistic adoration . I have received spiritual bouquets full of rosaries and novenas. Friends have invoked the intercession of powerful saints, sending me relics, holy cards and blessed oils. Especially precious to me are the handmade cards, letters and works of art I’ve received from schoolchildren. Their tender thoughts and prayers carry my needs immediately to the God who loves us so greatly.

Being on the receiving end of “thoughts and prayers” has convinced me of their good. I will continue, in my way, to offer thoughts and prayers. But I also will challenge myself to make real, small-but-concrete acts of love when I do, and to trust in the fullness of God’s perfect plan.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 11, 2023

Tue, 11 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 9:32-38

Jesus drives the demon out of the man, and as a result, he can speak. The crowds are amazed at what they have witnessed. This stands in contrast to the Pharisees who ascribe Jesus’ power to Satan. Jesus continues his travels, teaching and healing. He feels great compassion for them. Their needs are great, as is the need for more disciples to serve.

We pray that more people hear your call to follow and to serve. St. Benedict, pray for us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

A summer prayer

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 12:00:00 GMT

The wonderful days of summer that you give
us, Loving God, are here again!
Thank you for your constant surprises of
changing seasons and this exciting time of
bright sunshine, vacations, different
schedules, time to enjoy the outdoor
world of sun, water and parks,
friends and family things to do, outings
and adventures.
A world filled with so many inviting things . . .
all from you, loving God.
All calling us to grow, to have fun, and to get
to know You better.
Thank you, God!

— Sister Janet Schaeffler, O.P.

This article comes to you from Take Out ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Being good neighbors

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Peter Guzulaitis, Family Faith on the Go

How are we good neighbors? This is the question that Jesus asks in the parable of the Good Samaritan (see Lk 10:29-37). Jesus answers the question with the greatest challenge of all: everyone is our neighbor.

In 1999, my family moved into a brand-new neighborhood. Within a few months, seven families who were once unknown to each other became neighbors. My son was about 2 years old at the time, and needing a place to play, this led us to buy a swing set. It was the only one in the neighborhood, and it attracted toddlers of other families like moths to the flame. And wherever toddlers are gathered, parents are never far away. The swing set became a place where my son met his best friends and a place where my friendships began with my neighbors. Today, it is a symbol of hospitality for me. So many good friendships developed at the swing set and helped our neighborhood become more than a collection of houses.

Several years later, one of the families in our neighborhood learned that they were going to be welcoming triplets into their lives. We neighbors swung into action to support this family. After the triplets were born, neighbors helped with yard work. Many also helped care for the infants — feeding, washing and dressing the triplets was a normal part of life for many of us. My children are so proud of their involvement and care for the triplets. They were able to live out what it means to care for people.

The parable of the Good Samaritan also challenges us to see beyond the people who live next door to us or even in the same neighborhood. Being a good neighbor means that we take the risk to invite new people into our lives. Regardless of another person’s station in life, someone who is poor, a new immigrant, or a person of a different religion, walk of life, or race, we are all called to offer hospitality and care. Our invitation to friendship needs to extend to each person we meet. Indeed, everyone is our neighbor.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 10, 2023

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 9:18-26

Two healing miracles are intertwined in the Gospel today. Faith is central to both, the faith of the ruler whose daughter has died and the faith of the woman who has suffered for so long with an illness that separates her from community. Jesus acknowledges both and answers their plea.

Unless we set up our own criteria, which we often do, for your answer to our prayers, we strive to believe you know what is best for each one of us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

New pro-life initiative offers help to pregnant women facing emergencies

Mon, 10 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Katie Yoder

A new initiative by pro-life groups promises to support pregnant women in emergency situations by providing accurate information and help from medical professionals.

“The fact is there are many medical professionals on standby, right now, who are willing to assist mothers facing troubling information,” the initiative’s webpage, PregnancyEmergency.com , reads. “You are not alone.”

PregnancyEmergency.com, launched by Students for Life of America (SFLA) through their Standing with You initiative and with Heartbeat International and Infinite Worth , exists to cut through the fear of pregnancy emergencies — from miscarriage to ectopic pregnancy — by accompanying women with guidance and professional help.

“The great thing about this webpage is that it is part of the larger Standing With You initiative, an online directory which houses more than 4,000 resources connecting women to additional support including maternity homes, government programs, adoption, food pantries, information about safe haven laws, etc.,” Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life, told Our Sunday Visitor. “This way, if a woman’s pregnancy is medically able to continue and she chooses life, there are helping hands extended to her through pregnancy and beyond childbirth.”

PregnancyEmergency.com offers support for pregnant women in three main ways: By providing information about emergency situations (miscarriage, prenatal diagnosis, ectopic pregnancy, and molar pregnancy), by listing a number that women can call or text 24/7 to reach professional counselors who can connect them with medical help, and by offering a 24/7 chat line with a nurse.

To ‘help lives be changed and saved’

The initiative began after Hawkins noticed abortion supporters creating a narrative about the supposed need for legal abortion to save women’s lives after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.

Instead, PregnancyEmergency.com pledges to “help women get better answers than ‘get an abortion,'” Hawkins said in a press release.

“This does not replace 911 in a crisis,” she added, “but for mothers told that they can’t be treated for ectopic pregnancy, for example, it’s a great place to get medical facts, not pro-abortion spin.”

The information on the webpage regarding miscarriage, prenatal diagnosis, ectopic pregnancy, and molar pregnancy was compiled using medical sources, Hawkins told Our Sunday Visitor, and the healthcare professionals women are directed to are trained.

In the press release announcing the initiative, Hawkins, who leads the nation’s largest pro-life youth organization, with more than 1,400 groups on middle, high school, college, university, medical and law school campuses, stressed that their goal is to help women.

“[W]e know women are worried that they’re at risk in a Post-Roe America ,” Hawkins said, adding that PregnancyEmergency.com gives women answers and direction.

The other two pro-life groups involved also applauded the initiative.

“Women deserve answers in their pregnancy decision-making, not directives,” Jor-El Godsey, the president of Heartbeat International, a network supporting thousands of pregnancy centers, said in the press release. “Hearing a friendly voice who can help them understand the terms and the potential helps make a truly informed decision.”

Rachel Owen, the CEO of Infinite Worth, which fosters relationships through text and phone calls between nurses and women considering abortion, highlighted the nurse chat widget that her group is responsible for.

It “will help lives be changed and saved,” she said, before adding, “We are excited to see the life-long relationships that will come from this partnership as we serve women and connect them with pregnancy centers in their moment of need.”

The Catholic Church’s position on abortion and emergency pregnancies

Abortion is never permitted, according to the “ Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services ” issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

In the directives, the U.S. bishops define abortion as the “directly intended termination of pregnancy before viability or the directly intended destruction of a viable fetus.”

In other words, the Catholic Church prohibits any action made with the direct intent of ending an unborn baby’s life either before or after he or she can survive outside the womb.

“Every procedure whose sole immediate effect is the termination of pregnancy before viability is an abortion , which, in its moral context, includes the interval between conception and implantation of the embryo,” the bishops continue.

At the same time, the bishops stress that a Catholic woman can seek life-saving care even if that care means that her unborn baby will die indirectly as a result.

“Operations, treatments, and medications that have as their direct purpose the cure of a proportionately serious pathological condition of a pregnant woman are permitted when they cannot be safely postponed until the unborn child is viable, even if they will result in the death of the unborn child,” they write.

With this in mind, the bishops add that, in the case of ectopic or extrauterine pregnancy, which is life-threatening for the woman, “no intervention is morally licit which constitutes a direct abortion.” Instead, she must seek a life-affirming solution.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 9, 2023

Sun, 09 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 11:25-30

Jesus praises the Father for his wisdom. God reveals himself to those who are open and receptive, generally those who are simple and uneducated. Discipleship is not measured by achievement or education. It is a pure gift to those willing to receive. The law is symbolized by a yoke. Rather than living life confused by scriptural interpretation like the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus offers his invitation to discipleship; a life lived loving God and neighbor.

I am learning to balance knowing you with knowing about you, Jesus. By your grace I engage my heart along with my mind in doing your work.

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July 8, 2023

Sat, 08 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 9:14-17

The disciples of John the Baptist question Jesus about his followers. Why don’t they fast, as it is a practice required of devout Jewish people. Jesus’ response reveals a radical newness incompatible with their old forms of piety. It is like patching a cloak with old cloth or putting new wine into old wineskins.

I have a terrible time letting go of old ways and trying new. I pray to be able to respond readily to your invitation to a new creation.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 7, 2023

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 11:00:00 GMT

Mt 9:9-13

The Gospel begins with Matthew’s call from Jesus to follow. He could be seen as an unlikely candidate for discipleship and yet he follows immediately. In the company of tax collectors and sinners, the Pharisees confront the disciples about Jesus choosing to have fellowship with such people. Jesus responds to this by telling them that mercy far outweighs their skewed understanding of who God is and what God wills for his people.

You call us to follow you. You help us carry our burdens. You forgive our sins. You love us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

The ‘hidden things’ often unnoticed

Fri, 07 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Catherine Cavadini

This Sunday, we jump right into the middle of a story taken from Matthew 11. In the first lines, Jesus is referring to “hidden things” that are only revealed to “ little ones .” We might wonder: What are “these things” to which Christ is referring? And why are they revealed to “little ones”?

Let’s remember what has been happening in Matthew’s Gospel so that the answers to these questions can be revealed to us, and we can hopefully become “little ones.”

In Chapter 3 of Matthew’s Gospel, we hear the voice of John the Baptist crying out in the wilderness: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand! ” (Mt 3:2). In Chapter 6, Christ teaches us to pray the Our Father. And by the time we arrive at Chapter 11, Matthew and the other disciples have been called, John has been arrested, and Christ has been revealing the mercy that constitutes his Kingdom. As we approach Chapter 11, therefore, we have heard the call to repentance and we have been given the means to turn toward Christ: the holiness of John the Baptist, the example of the disciples in heeding Christ’s call, and the prayer in which we ask to be forgiven and to be conformed to God’s will.

In part, then, the “hidden things” of which Christ speaks are “hidden” because they are “little” and easily unnoticed by the world: a voice in the wilderness, the “turning” of a heart, an act of mercy, prayer.

The world, as Christ laments in Matthew 11, desires “deeds of power.” Of course, Christ also does “deeds of power” in Matthew’s Gospel: “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear…” (Mt 11:4-5). And yet, despite such obvious displays of “power,” the world does not repent. These are deeds for those “with eyes to see.” The world does not see, “the Lord of heaven and earth,” but “a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” ( Mt 11:19 ).

In contrast, those who repent are the “little ones” of Matthew’s Gospel. The “little ones” are those humble enough to recognize their faults and to pray to God for forgiveness. Only these “little ones” recognize the Hidden One revealed by Christ. The Hidden One is their Father and their king. He is the one whom Christ reveals with his merciful miracles that heal the sufferings of his “little ones.”

Matthew 11:25-30, thus, calls its readers to a conversion from the power of the world to the repentant humility of the “little one.”

We find such an example in the life of St. Augustine (d. 430), famous for his conversion from pride to humility. In fact, Augustine even relied on Matthew 11:25-30 to tell his story of conversion in his Confessions. He tells us how God befriended him, a sinner, burdened with the heavy load of his worldly pride: “You, Lord, are good and merciful, and your right hand plumbed the depths of my death … so that I now willed what you willed … enabling me to bow my neck to your benign yoke and my shoulders to your light burden, O Christ Jesus, my helper and redeemer … Childlike, I chattered away to you, my glory, my wealth, my salvation, and my Lord and God.” Thus, Augustine gives thanks to the “Father, Lord of heaven and earth,” who reveals himself to “little ones.”

Perhaps what is most moving about Augustine’s prayer is his entrance into Christ’s own prayer in Matthew 11:25-30: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.” Praying thus with Christ, Augustine’s heart humbly turns with total gratitude to God for becoming a “little one” himself. Christ’s “littleness” reveals the Hidden One, and so Christ even helps us to pray, like children, to Our Father. May we hear his voice, and turn!

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 6, 2023

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 9:1-8

Jesus heals the man of his paralysis but forgiving the sins of the man is what catches the attention of the scribes. To them it is blasphemy. God alone forgives. Jesus is acutely aware of what the scribes are thinking. He confronts them and sends the healed man on his way.

May we always be in awe of your words and works and strive to move the hearts and minds of those who do not believe.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 5, 2023

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 8:28-34

The town Jesus comes to is afflicted by two men possessed by evil spirits. Jesus encounters them. The demons acknowledge who Jesus is addressing him by his divine title and tell him that he should not disturb them until the coming of the kingdom. They make a request of him, which Jesus grants. Those who witness this are fearful of Jesus’ power.

Jesus, your power is not how humans imagine. Your power is in your goodness, your kindness, your mercy.

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When evangelizing, actions speak louder than words

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Sara Perla

I listened to a podcast episode in which a Catholic man was sharing a story about how he started his company. He spoke passionately about “what God said” to him and how “God told him what he had to do.” And something about it really bothered me.

I turned the podcast off in order to consider what it was that was pricking at me. It was more than the fact that I have not had an experience like the one he was sharing; it was as if the experience he was sharing had no resonance with my life of faith at all, and that was disturbing. What was wrong here? The ease with which this man talked about his experience made me doubt its truth, and it made me wonder: How are Catholics to enter into the Eucharistic Revival if we can’t really talk fruitfully about our encounters with the Eucharist?

Examples of hearing God

There is something incommunicable about God’s work in the human heart. I think that is one of the most important and least appreciated things in our current discussions of synodality, the Eucharistic Revival and the work of the Holy Spirit in the Church today in general. If you can tell me, easily and in a pithy phrase, what God is doing in you and in your life right now, then, frankly, I do not trust what you are saying.

Mother Teresa had a profound moment with the Lord while she was on a train. After that moment, she left a comfortable life as a teaching sister in order to devote herself to Jesus in his “distressing disguise” of the poorest of the poor. Her moment on the train led to the Missionaries of Charity. We do not know what happened on the train. We only know that Jesus told her in some manner, “I thirst,” and the rest is history. Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, in a recent speech at the Catholic Media Conference, shared this segment from a letter Mother Teresa wrote to her sisters :

She was asking her own sisters — women who had given up everything to serve the poor — if they had encountered Jesus lately, one on one, in their hearts. So that is not something that the missionary sisters spoke about with each other every day, as you might be tempted to think about religious. They do not pick up their breakfasts and chat about their contemplations.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) was a German philosopher, a phenomenologist who studied under Edmund Husserl. She was born Jewish, then considered herself an atheist. One night, she picked up St. Teresa of Avila’s “Book of Her Life,” and she could not stop reading. “This is the truth,” she said to herself. But what was it about the book, or about St. Teresa, that had this effect on Edith? How did she encounter Jesus as Lord through these words? We do not know; she never told us.

In arguably the most famous of all conversion stories, as he weeps and repents, St. Augustine recounts hearing, “Take up and read” (referring to the Bible), and the word of God banishes his doubts in some sort of definitive way. “No further would I read; nor needed I: for instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away” (Confessions, Book VIII). How did this happen? Well, we don’t know. Augustine immediately shares this experience with his friend, Alypius, who, edified himself by what Augustine had been through, responds with joy, and they go to tell his mother, Monica , that her son is a believer. In a book full of pathos and drama, in which many of Augustine’s innermost thoughts are revealed, this particular passage is notably muted.

What to keep to yourself

What do these examples suggest? That there is a limit to what can be communicated to others about graces we receive. Many Protestants have what they call their “testimony,” which they stand ready to give at any time (a friend of mine was asked to give hers at the dinner table the first time she met her boyfriend’s family!). I am fully in support of that, since we must always be prepared to give “a reason for our hope,” as St. Peter says ( 1 Pt 3:15 ). In order to bring Christ to others, we must be able to communicate the difference that he makes in our lives. But I think that sharing our “God story” can be done only within limits. We can share the contours of the experience — the effects of grace — up to a point. Then you come to a boundary where what happens is only between God and the soul.

Trying to put into words what lies in that area leads to one of two problems: Either it sounds hokey, cheesy, silly, or it sounds unbelievable, in a kind of unattainably holy way. Or, sometimes, even worse — it is both cheesy and unattainable, such as in the case of the podcast I was listening to. While this man was making claims about God speaking to him, I felt embarrassed for him, in addition to being doubtful about the content of his “revelation.” “Shhhhhhhhh,” I wanted to say to him, “Keep that to yourself.” Many vocation stories also walk this line: People want to know how a person discerned a call to religious life or the priesthood, but there’s only so much the person can say. What they share never seems enough to justify the choice to give up everything and follow Jesus in such a radical way. At some point, I suspect, the best thing to say is, “It’s a mystery.”

An opportunity for revival

I am quite an open person. There are very few things that I think should not be brought out into the open, discussed, shared and processed. But when it comes to sacred things, there is a way in which talking about them too much fails to do the very thing you would want it to do — namely, draw the other person closer to the Mystery. St. Andrew said to his brother, Cephas, “We have found the Messiah” ( Jn 1:41 ). He did not give a lengthy explanation of what he and John did when they spent time with Jesus the day before. Instead, Andrew just said, “Come and see.”

This is what the Eucharistic Revival must do: Invite our friends and neighbors to come and see. We cannot communicate that which is deepest within us, but we can offer others the opportunity to experience it themselves. We can increase the number of times we, ourselves, seek out the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, giving silent witness by our presence in a parish Church or adoration chapel. I am edified every time I go to a local adoration chapel by the number of faithful there, usually my Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters, sometimes lying face down before him or raising their hands and whispering prayers. It helps me to pray, to be there with them, even though it is silent and profoundly one on one with Jesus at the same time. I hope and pray that this year of parish engagement with the Eucharistic Revival will help us all connect more deeply with him whose presence within us is beyond words.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 4, 2023

Tue, 04 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 8:23-27

Jesus, the Son of God, has power over all things as we see in today’s Gospel and those throughout the week. In the Gospel today, it is understandable that the disciples are frightened by the storm. Though they have begun to grow in faith they still have a long way to go.

We find ourselves amid so many storms of nature and of human origin. Lord, lead us past our fear to believing you will save us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Lasting love

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

excerpt from Fidelity: Remaining Faithful in Today’s World (OSV P1149)

As soon as we finish that last bite of chocolate or open the last present on Christmas, we begin to feel an emptiness — the emptiness that no earthly good can ever fill, because nothing on earth is lasting. We long for eternity, because our souls are eternal.

And when we love, we want it to last forever. That is why we vow “till death do us part” or “all the days of my life.” We wouldn’t want it any other way. Who would declare at their wedding, “I will love you as long as I feel like it or as long as I haven’t found anyone better than you?” We don’t do so, because part of the essence of love is fidelity: “Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it” (Song 8:7).

Underlying the psychological fact that human beings long for true and lasting love is the fact that love is faithful, because God is faithful. He has made a covenant with man, embodied in Christ’s love for his bride, the Church (CCC 1647).

But will we be happy loving like this? Isn’t this sort of boring — this virtuous, long-suffering endurance? Are we just gritting our teeth and sadly enduring our spouse (or our vocation)? On the contrary —psychological research shows that faithfulness actually makes us happier.

Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness , conducted an experiment in which research subjects chose between two things they liked equally well. One group was forced to stick with their choice (make an irrevocable decision), while the other group was allowed the option to change their minds at a later date. The result? The subjects who were forced to stay with their original choice ( i.e. , remain “faithful” to it) were happier than those who had the freedom to change!

How can we be faithful? Jesus told us, “In the world you have tribulation” (Jn 16:33). This means we will face temptations and other afflictions. The Catechism tells us that our marital union is always threatened by sin — we may experience jealousy, infidelity, conflict, and even separation. The culture bombards us with images of false love, pornography, and sexualized media. Marriages struggle through economic difficulties, sickness, and spiritual trials.

How, then, is it even possible to remain faithful? “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Mt 19:26). Five keys will help us remain faithful in love and our vocation: closeness to Christ; self-knowledge; avoidance of temptations; healthy communication in both words and actions; and cultivating an attitude of gratitude and forgiveness.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 3, 2023

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 20:24-29

Jesus understands that Thomas is not rejecting him. Because his faith is not strong enough, Thomas is unable to get past the loss and heartache to believe that Jesus is truly present. He wants proof. Jesus is compassionate toward his friends who deserted him and willing to help Thomas through his weakness to belief.

Jesus, you lead us through times of unbelief to belief through the ordinary events of our lives. Thank you.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Put preaching at center of the Church, pope tells new archbishops

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Justin McLellan

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In the mold of Sts. Peter and Paul, Catholics are called to be members of a church that constantly follows Jesus and proclaims his word by putting preaching at the center of its ministry, Pope Francis said.

Dressed in red vestments to recall the apostles’ martyrdom, during his homily at a Mass for the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica on June 29, Pope Francis reflected on how Rome’s patron saints responded to “the most essential and most important question of all: Who is Jesus for me? Who is Jesus in my life?”

St. Peter’s answer, he said, “can be summed up in one word: follow.” When Jesus called out to St. Peter, he did not respond “with a faultless doctrinal formula or a set of preconceived notions,” the pope said, but “left his nets and followed Jesus, without demanding any kind of guarantee beforehand.”

‘Servant of the Gospel’

The apostle’s response “invites us to be a church that follows. A church that strives to be a disciple of the Lord, a lowly servant of the Gospel,” he said. “Only in this way will the Church be capable of dialoguing with everyone and becoming a place of accompaniment, closeness and hope for the men and women of our time.”

For St. Paul, on the other hand, encountering Jesus means to “proclaim, to preach the Gospel.”

“The apostle teaches us that we grow in faith and in knowledge of the mystery of Christ when we preach and bear witness to him before others,” said Pope Francis. “This is always the case: Whenever we evangelize, we are ourselves evangelized.”

Bring Jesus everywhere

Celebrating Mass with metropolitan archbishops appointed in the last year, the pope said that St. Paul’s spirit of evangelization is “necessary also for the church in our day: to put preaching at the center.”

He asked Catholics to form a church that is “outgoing, finding joy not in the things of the world, but in preaching the Gospel before the world and opening people’s hearts to the presence of God.”

That mission is achieved, the pope said, by bringing Jesus everywhere: in families, relationships, neighborhoods, civil society, the church, political life and, especially, “in those places where poverty, decay and marginalization are deeply rooted.”

Recognizing the new archbishops

Concelebrating the Mass with Pope Francis were 29 new metropolitan archbishops from 18 countries.

During the introductory rites, the pope blessed the palliums after they were brought up from the crypt above the tomb of St. Peter. The palliums, woolen bands that the heads of archdioceses wear around their shoulders over their Mass vestments, symbolize an archbishop’s unity with the pope and his authority and responsibility to care for the flock the pope entrusted to him.

Among those receiving their palliums were U.S. Archbishop George L. Thomas of Las Vegas, Canadian Archbishop Frank Leo of Toronto, Spanish Archbishop José Cobo Cano of Madrid and Argentine Archbishop Jorge García Cuerva of Buenos Aires.

Cardinal Baltazar Porras Cardozo received a pallium for the second time. He had previously received one from St. John Paul II as archbishop of Mérida, Venezuela, in 1992, and received a new one from Pope Francis June 29 as archbishop of Caracas.

The pope blessed the palliums during the Mass and handed them, in a box, to each archbishop after the liturgy. The nuncios in their home countries will formally impose the pallium on each archbishop in his archdiocese in the presence of his faithful and bishops from neighboring dioceses.

Also present in the basilica was Orthodox Metropolitan Job of Pisidia, representing the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, who embraced Pope Francis during the exchange of peace. After Mass the two prayed together in silence at the entrance to the chapel in front of St. Peter’s tomb and before a statue of St. Peter decoratively dressed in vestments and wearing a papal tiara, as is customary on the saint’s feast day.

A church that ‘needs to preach’

Pope Francis presided over Mass but remained seated as he delivered the homily. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, was the main celebrant at the altar.

The pope addressed the new metropolitan archbishops during his homily and asked them to imitate Sts. Peter and Paul.

“Be disciples in following and apostles in preaching,” he said. “Bring the beauty of the Gospel everywhere, together with all the people of God.”

Pope Francis warned them against coming up with excuses for not being like St. Peter, who immediately followed Jesus, noting how some excuses “are disguised as spiritual,” such as saying, “I am not worthy.”

“This is one of the devil’s ploys,” the pope said, “it robs us of trust in God’s grace by making us think that everything depends on our own abilities.”

Constantly following Jesus does not result in “a privatized piety that leaves us peaceful and unconcerned about bringing the Gospel to others,” Pope Francis said, but leads to a church “that cannot live without sharing with others the embrace of God’s love and the joy of the Gospel.”

He asked Catholics to play their part in building that church: a church “that needs to preach just as we need oxygen to breathe.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Lessons of Childhood

Mon, 03 Jul 2023 05:00:00 GMT

By Cathy Donovan

I grew up in a very traditional home full of children. My dad “worked” and my mom didn’t. You get the picture. During the summer months we were expected to be — how should I put this — children.

We had chores to do, but once those were done we were free to be, well, children. I often left the house on my bike about mid-morning, met up with friends on their bikes and spent the rest of the day swimming at the local pool and watching outlines of our wet bodies on the concrete sidewalk dry in the sun. Sometimes we would lie on the ground and look up at the clouds, trying to see familiar images in them. I remember playing catch, Four Square, hide-andseek, capture the flag. You get the picture. I remember feeling wide-eyed and alert. I remember being focused on the moment, not preoccupied with yesterday or anticipating tomorrow. I remember being full of energy, almost as if I was tingling. I loved summer. What kid wouldn’t!

Matthew 18:3 has always caught my attention. Does it mean that doing what I want when I want is the ticket to heaven? Hardly. The older I get, the more I realize how important those summer days were and the impact of the lessons they taught. I remember those summer days as being very simple. I wanted to be with friends and soak up the day.

As a parent watching my own children grow I am aware of childlike qualities from which I would benefit; humility, a trusting nature, freedom from ambition and selfish drive, the ability to be present in the moment and the openness to learning. I could do with a little more wonder in my life, a bit more amazement at all God has created.

Times have changed, and life has become more scheduled. While I wouldn’t recommend re-creating the past, I would recommend leaving room for some of the lazy, unscripted moments when God inspires us to play.

This summer, take a chance and schedule a little less activity. Leave room for the natural, God-given creativity of a child. Your child may experience moments of wonder and awe. Better yet, join your child in play. Draw on the driveway with chalk, make “concoctions” in the kitchen, have a tea party under the pool water, play Marco Polo, try to count the stars. You get the picture.

This article comes to you from Take Out ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 2, 2023

Sun, 02 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 10:37-42

Family ties are strong during Jesus’ time, which must have made the conditions of discipleship difficult to understand. Jesus is not attacking family but rather saying that relationship with him must be the priority even if it means a rupture in the family.

You call us to follow you and in doing so we must realize that we are to represent you in all we say and do. It is a holy mission.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

July 1, 2023

Sat, 01 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 8:5-17

The centurion, though not Jewish, believes in Jesus’ healing power. Jesus sees that this man’s faith surpasses that of his own people. Jesus says the words and heals the centurion’ s servant. He goes on to heal Simon’s mother-in-law, who immediately gets up from her bed and serves the disciples. The healings continue as prophesied by Isaiah.

We are reminded regularly of the centurion’s great faith through the words of the Eucharistic prayer during the Mass. It is a blessed reminder.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Give up control, and give it to Christ

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By Father Joshua J. Whitfield

“But I heard the voice of Jesus saying still to fight on.”

That’s what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. heard, as he tells the story, at one of his lowest moments, frightened early on in his battle for civil rights and worried for his family’s safety. He was scared and alone, but then he heard Jesus’ words of assurance. “He promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone. No, never alone. No, never alone,” King said. It was for him a profound moment of grace. It kept him going.

These past few Sundays, we’ve followed Matthew’s account of the mission given by Christ to the disciples. From Christ’s pity, from his compassion, comes the command and mission of the apostles. He calls them by name and gives them authority over demons and disease (cf. Mt 9:36–10:4). Jesus tells them where to go and how to go (Mt 10:5-15). He prepares them for conflict, division and persecution (Mt 10:16-36). It’s a daunting job description, to say the least. It’s not a task for the weak.

Staying in control

And, at first, it seems to be a task dangerously isolating. “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37). There seems to be something about the call of Jesus fundamentally threatening to the ties that bind — to family, nation and ethnicity. There is indeed something about the call of Jesus that separates us from what’s around us. In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus keeps his biological family at bay, pointing to his disciples, saying, “Here are my mother and my brothers” (Mk 3:34). Which seems to be the final test of mission, that to be a true disciple one must give up everything , offer up every tie to Christ. One must make Christ first, and absolutely if one is to carry on the mission of the Gospel at all. Otherwise, it’s merely religion, something other than the advent of the Kingdom of God.

But to suggest we should be all in like that makes us nervous today, even the most pious of us. We’ll praise but keep control. We’ll follow but keep one foot in the world just in case. We’ll strive for holiness, but we won’t choose Christ over those who keep pulling us down into sin and sin’s thinking. We won’t give Christ everything. We fear losing what we see and know because of what’s comfortable, even though we know it’s not of God. Because it’s the life we know, we choose it over that life we don’t know. Because we really don’t trust Christ.

‘With you always’

Hence this haunting challenge: “Whoever finds his life will lose it , and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Mt 10:39). That’s the test, the leap of faith — to let go of the world we know for the freedom we may only see by faith. But to choose Christ over the world we know can feel sometimes like choosing nothing over everything. It can feel like we’re separating ourselves from our friends, our work, our neighbors, all we hold dear and what’s familiar. It can be quite frightening. If it’s a genuine struggle of faith, it probably always will be frightening.

Which is why what Dr. King heard, those words that kept him going, mean so much. Or, at least, I think I understand why they meant so much to him. “No, never alone.” “And I go on in believing that,” he said. Because Jesus’ words mean so much. “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me” (Mt 10:40). “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). These words are meaningful because they remind us of the promise Jesus himself made to us, that when we leave the world behind, we don’t lose everything, we gain everything. Because Jesus is always with us. And he is “all and in all” (Col 3:11).

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 30, 2023

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 06:00:00 GMT

Mt 8:1-4

The healing of the man with leprosy in Matthew’s Gospel does not have a lot of detail. Though straight forward, the point is well made. The man approaches Jesus and addresses him in a way that reveals the depth of his understanding. Jesus offers a healing touch and then in accordance with the Mosaic law sends the man to the priest.

Faith, trust, and humility are all evidence of goodness for which we hope and pray. With them we find healing and wholeness.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 29, 2023

Thu, 29 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 16:13-19

In the reading from the letter to Timothy we hear Paul’s testimony near the end of his mission and life to all that Jesus has done for him. In Matthew’s Gospel Jesus asks the very personal question, “Who do you say that I am?” and Peter, the spokesperson, responds. Though his answer is in some sense on behalf of the others, it is a very personal confession, profession of belief. Jesus commissions Peter, the Rock.

Sts. Peter and Paul, pray for us as we strive to live out the vision and mission of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 28, 2023

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 7:15-20

Jesus cautions his disciples about those who seem to have good intentions. Is there genuine truth and integrity in what they say and do? He tells them to be prudent and look carefully at the effects of their work, a good indicator of their character.

We pray for the continued strengthening of the gifts and fruits of your Spirit within us. May our words and actions spring forth from all you give us. St. Irenaeus, pray for us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

The church hall wedding reception is the best choice you’ll ever make

Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Father Patrick Briscoe

One joy of priesthood is accompanying young couples as they prepare for marriage . Two summers ago, I served as a chaplain during a program for Catholic undergraduates. The students worked demanding jobs in hospitality at a National Park and dedicated their off hours to prayer, study and living in intentional community.

The program is a marvelous idea; it gives students the opportunity to earn the money they need for the upcoming year all the while providing the necessary support to continue to grow in their faith. Many students return from the program equipped to be capable leaders in their respective college campus ministries and Newman centers.

But another happy consequence is that two young people, with a shared commitment to Christ and similar dreams for family life, might meet. And fall in love. And get married .

Blossoming love

When I arrived on the scene as chaplain for this program, which at the time was based in Acadia National Park in Maine, it was clear to me that one particular young man had fallen for one particular young lady. (She was not as obvious about her feelings.) Anyone who has been to Acadia wouldn’t be surprised. By nature, it’s an extremely romantic place, animated by fantastic sunrises, towering mountains and beautiful ocean views.

Now, two years later, these marvelous young people have gotten married! It was a privilege to officiate their wedding, having been present in those early days when their affection for each other was first growing.

I’m happy to report that I loved every detail of their wedding. She was a graceful, poised bride, and he was a happy, confident groom. (He wept when she was walked down the aisle by her father, as is right and just!) They selected lovely hymns, including Holst’s epic melody turned hymn “O God Beyond All Praising.” Their guests sang loudly, participated in the responses and properly presented themselves for holy Communion. It was a celebration rich in love, rooted in faith.

Priorities in order

But the thing I loved best was that they held their reception in the church hall. Transformed by elegantly draped tulle and illuminated by thousands of Christmas lights, they made a multipurpose room a perfectly lovely venue.

They could have put off their wedding, waiting years to save more money to have a larger, more opulent party. They could have taken loans or made other choices to splurge on their wedding day. But they didn’t. They know that the heart of their marriage is their profession of love before God and his Church. And that is why I loved the hall.

I loved the bride’s youngest brother making announcements at the behest of the DJ. I loved the rehearsal dinner in the Knights of Columbus meeting room. I loved that the Knights then helped serve the meal (fantastic pulled pork!). Toasts were heartfelt, succinct and memorable (as opposed to bawdy, rambling and insincere). In short, this wedding was about everything a wedding should be about — God, family and friends. It wasn’t about the pictures or the food or the reception (even though all of those elements were well-executed). It was simple, wholesome and perfect.

Real love

As we enter the summer wedding season, it’s worthwhile to pause and remember what weddings are about. Can we encourage young people to forgo the unnecessary expense? Are we willing to step up and help couples celebrate? Will we give our own time to contribute to these communal celebrations?

Pope Francis has said : “Marriage is a symbol of life, real life: It is not fiction! It is the sacrament of the love of Christ and the Church, a love which finds its proof and guarantee in the cross.” I think, in the end, that’s why I loved this wedding so much. It wasn’t a fairy tale. It wasn’t pretend. It was real. It was a real party. With real family and friends. Focused on real love animated by real faith

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 27, 2023

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 7:6, 12-14

The Gospel passage begins with Jesus’ words about those who oppose the gospel. He goes on to say that the “golden rule” summarizes Old Testament tradition and concludes with reference to the “two ways”: one that leads to life; the other to destruction. Not everyone chooses the way to life.

Though I may not be able to crack the hard exterior of some, I must not stop praying for them confident in your ability to break through and touch their hearts.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Summer Stretch, Expand Your Faith

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By Lorene Hanley Duquin, Take Out: Family Faith on the Go

Faith is an integral part of our lives; it is interwoven into everything we do.

Summer is a great time to refocus your family on faith, fellowship and fun!

The time you spend this summer strengthening your family’s faith will reap rewards in the fall when life begins to rev up again. You may even find that your kids want to continue some of the faith-filled summer fun all year long.

Make Mass a Priority

Resist the temptation to skip Mass during the summer months or when you are on vacation. You can make Mass something the whole family can look forward to by planning a fun family activity afterward. Or check to see if there are outdoor Masses at a parish near you. We believe that Jesus Christ is fully present in the Mass and the assembly gathered as the Body of Christ.

Do Some Spiritual Reading

Set aside some special time to introduce your children to the lives of the saints. The stories of these real-life people, who lived out their faith in courageous and inspiring ways, will serve as heroes and role models for your kids. We believe All of the faithful — both living and dead — are connected for all time through Jesus Christ.

Visit a Holy Place

Take a day trip to a monastery, a shrine, or a famous church so your children can experience some of the different types of spirituality that are part of the Catholic Faith. Ask if there are tours, and be sure to visit the gift shop. We believe in the divine presence of God among us.

Simplify Your Lives

Summer is a great time to sort through clothing, toys, sports equipment, and other possessions with the intention of sharing what you have with people who are in need. Or have a garage sale and donate the proceeds to charity. We believe in sharing material possessions and justice among all people.

Do Something for Someone Else

Make it a point to teach your children that an important part of faith in action is reaching out to others. Bring some summer flowers to a nursing home. Deliver a bag of groceries to the neighborhood or parish food pantry. Offer to help an elderly neighbor with a home-improvement project. We believe in the dignity of human life.

Do Something Good for the Earth

Plan a family project that will help the whole family appreciate and protect God’s creation. It could be something as simple as planting a tree, using less water, walking or biking instead of hopping into the car, or expanding your efforts to recycle and reuse. We believe the Earth is God’s creation, and we are called to protect the environment.

Have God Talks

Build a campfire in your yard or at a local park, and instead of telling ghost stories, encourage your kids to tell “God stories.” You may be surprised at how your children have experienced the presence of God in their lives, and you may find that memories of your own God experiences begin to surface. We believe that God wants to be with us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 26, 2023

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 7:1-5

Jesus warns his followers to avoid behavior often ascribed to the Jewish leaders. Jesus tells them to let God be the judge. Focusing on the faults of others will prevent them from seeing and overcoming their own faults. As disciples they do have the responsibility to correct and challenge others gone astray but they must first acknowledge their own sin.

When I stand in judgment of other’s actions, I lose sight of the good in them. Let me see what you see and when necessary, guide them lovingly in the right direction.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Pray any time of the day

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By Lorene Hanley Duquin

Summer is a wonderful time to explore new adventures and create entirely new habits.

Integrating prayer into the everyday routine is as simple as praising God in the morning and thanking God at night. Below are some quick and easy ways to introduce your family to the Catholic tradition of morning and evening prayer.

Kids love family rituals. Prayer rituals are powerful because they help kids develop a closer relationship with you and with God. They also create a spiritual foundation for your children that will last — not only through the summer but throughout their entire lives.

Morning Prayers

Evening Prayers

This article comes to you from Take Out ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Meet the musician with hit Christian songs now becoming a priest

Mon, 26 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Katie Yoder

Ahead of his ordination to the priesthood , Deacon Andrew Crabtree remembers clearly the moment he offered his life to God.

“I remember one day I was at Mass and I was frustrated with work, frustrated with everything,” he told Our Sunday Visitor. “I just remember kneeling down right before Mass and saying, ‘Lord, I’ve done it my way. I’ve done everything I could to do what I want. But now I finally just give it over to you.”

“I’ll just kind of hand over my life to you,” he prayed, “and do with it what you will.”

What happened next led Deacon Crabtree — a Catholic convert and a musician with hit songs on the Billboard Christian Charts — to consider becoming a priest.

“Within five seconds, one of the church members came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘Hey, Drew, would you mind help leading us in a hymn? We don’t have a priest today.'”

The encounter shocked Deacon Crabtree: He had been asked to step in when there was no priest, immediately after placing his life in God’s hands.

“I knew it was sort of a test and I went, ‘Yeah, sure,'” he remembered. “Because that’s not something I do, I’m pretty introverted.”

It was a test he passed. On June 10, the 35-year-old deacon based in Athens, Tennessee, will be ordained a priest for the Diocese of Knoxville at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Becoming Catholic

Deacon Crabtree entered the Catholic Church in Easter 2015, and, three years later, joined seminary in January 2018. But his story began well before that.

“I think with every vocation, with every priest, you can really begin your vocation story almost at birth,” he explained.

He highlighted pivotal points in his journey, beginning in college. In 2008, he began playing bass in a Christian rock band named “Calling Glory.” With hit songs making the Billboard Christian Charts, they traveled all over to perform contemporary Christian music , particularly in the eastern half of the U.S.

At the time, he identified as Protestant. Deacon Crabtree, who grew up Baptist, said he became a non-denominational charismatic around high school.

With his band, he encountered a variety of denominations. They might play at a Baptist church one night, for Assemblies of God the next, and at an Episcopal church for another. Along the way, he noticed a disconnect: He heard preachers and people of faith present Scripture and God in opposing ways.

Sometimes he would hear preachers claim that the Holy Spirit told them completely opposite things about the exact same passage of Scripture.

“And I said, ‘Okay, hold on, something’s askew, something’s off, someone has to be wrong,'” Deacon Crabtree recalled.

This happened while he took theology courses at Tennessee Wesleyan University, a private Methodist university in Athens, Tennessee. A professor teaching historical theology changed his outlook as a self-described “Sola Scriptura guy” who looked to the Bible as the only infallible source from God.

This professor, he said, showed how the Scriptures came about, how the books of the Bible were put together, and how other books were not included in the canon of Scripture.

“That really blew my mind,” Deacon Crabtree commented.

Seeing the disconnect in Scripture interpretation and learning from the professor impacted him.

“Those two things, sort of in combination, made me kind of take a step back and be like, ‘Okay, I need to figure this out,’ because I believed in God, I believed in Scripture and Revelation,” he said of realizing something was amiss. “There are too many iterations of the truth and I knew there had to be only one truth.”

Then, he found Catholicism.

Discovering Catholicism

“After about five years, I started praying and reading and seeking, and … everything started pointing fingers toward the Catholic Church,” he said.

He listed other factors that played a role in his conversion. He had heard of Catholicism because his dad converted 10 years earlier — something that he said “opened the door.”

The first time he saw a priest was in “The Exorcist” movie. The first time he encountered priests and religious sisters in person came during a band performance.

The encounter at a parish in New Jersey was a powerful one, he said.

“In all of my time playing with the band, which was over 10 years, we only had one Catholic gig,” he said.

The sisters who attended, he said, especially stood out to him.

“I remember driving back after we had played and everything, just thinking about their joy and their love for the Faith and their commitment to the Faith that was on such a different level than I’ve ever seen before,” he said. “That really kind of opened my eyes.”

A band adventure

For Deacon Crabtree, music drove him closer to Christ and, eventually, closer to the Church.

“There’s something about music — and I really can’t put words to it — but it’s such a conduit to the spiritual realm,” he commented.

Music, he found, can serve as a very powerful prayer.

“Just my time playing Christian music, which was basically for me at the time — especially as a Protestant — that was my prayer and that was my prayer time and that’s how I was able to fall deeper in love with Christ, experience him in very powerful ways was through music,” he added, “until I was able to receive the Eucharist for the first time, which was just overwhelming.”

His favorite song to play with Calling Glory was “ Teach Me to Love ,” he said, calling the lyrics powerful.

“And teach me to love, the way You’ve loved my heart / And teach me to love, a world that’s falling apart / To the broken and hopeless and those that have fallen down,” the chorus goes. “Look past all my pride, realize that You gave Your Son … to teach me to love.”

Roughly a year and a half after entering the Catholic Church, he knew he needed a change.

“The band was doing well, but I wasn’t feeling fulfilled,” he said. “I had another job to make a little bit more money and it was doing very well … but I was never feeling fulfilled.”

“One day, I was just like, ‘Where do I feel peace? Where do I feel joy?'” he remembered. “And it was always in the Church.”

He used one of his favorite songs — “ I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For ” by U2 — in his entrance essay to get into seminary.

“The lyrics kind of follow aspects of my life and sort of my path into the Church,” he explained. “Spiritually, I still haven’t found what I’m looking for, until I finally found Christ in the Church and, hopefully now, in the holy priesthood.”

Toward the priesthood

Deacon Crabtree shared what he is most looking forward to as a priest.

“The thing I’m most looking forward to is the same thing I’m most terrified of,” he said, “and that is, it’s probably confession.”

“I think that there’s something so vulnerable and poignant about encountering the sinner in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, because they’re really at their best in that moment,” he explained, “because they trust God enough to come before him and to be contrite — and to say ‘I’m sorry’ and to say that ‘I want to love you more, I want to do better.'”

“I look forward to being able to be the conduit of that grace, the instrument of that grace that Christ offers to those penitents,” he stressed.

He recognized the delicacy of confessions.

“I recognize it’s the most vulnerable place, and if I am not seeking to act as Christ in that moment, and I’m too caught up in myself, it’s so easy to hurt people — to say the wrong thing and be mean-spirited or anything like that,” he said.

“You hear so many bad stories about people who were hurt in the confessional and it keeps them from going back to the confessional or back to the Eucharist or they leave the Faith entirely,” he expanded.

Instead, he said, “I want to be an instrument of love, I want to be an instrument of grace and mercy, not an instrument of pain and hurt.”

As a priest, he also hopes to continue using his musical talents even though, he specified, it will look different from before.

Advice for discerning vocations

Deacon Crabtree revealed his advice for men and women discerning their vocations.

“I think number one is to not be afraid,” he said, adding that he sees what seems to be a growing hostility toward the Faith and the Church.

He drew from a recent visit at the Blessed Stanley Rother Shrine in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma , where he prayed for the intercession of Rother, an Oklahoma priest who was killed while ministering in Guatemala.

“Let me have the courage that you had to stand up for the faith, as a martyr if necessary, but also to love my people,” he prayed.

With that in mind, he shared his advice.

“Don’t be afraid and trust in God and be willing to hand your life over to him because he has the best in mind for you,” he concluded, and “have faith and follow discernment … where he wants to lead you.”

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 25, 2023

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Matthew 10:26-33

Three times Jesus tells his disciples not to be afraid. It is fear that could cause them to abandon the mission. God’s kingdom will come, revealing the hypocrisy of those who oppose them. God will care for those who witness to him.

We pray that we have the courage to remain faithful to God’s mission to which he has called us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 25, 2023

Sun, 25 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Matthew 10:26-33

We pray that we have the courage to remain faithful to God’s mission to which he has called us.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 24, 2023

Sat, 24 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Lk 1:57-66, 80

John is born. His conception and birth are miraculous as is his father Zechariah’s regaining his power of speech once naming his child as the angel instructed. The people are in awe of these events, perhaps aware of a deeper meaning that will one day be revealed.

St. John, you prepared the way for the coming of God’s son. Pray for us that we prepare well the way for his return.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 23, 2023

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 6:19-23

Jesus contrasts material possessions that are easily destroyed with relationship with God, the eternal treasure. Choosing the latter is the key to holiness. Jesus tells the disciples that the eyes are the pathway to the soul. Healthy and holy spiritual vision leads to faithfulness and obedience to God.

I pray for the strength to recognize the distractions for what they are and the strength to push them away. Keep me focused on you, my God.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Fear of the Lord

Fri, 23 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Catherine Cavadini

Fear of the Lord. This is a phrase particular to Scripture. It does not mean to literally be afraid of the Lord, but to have awe or reverence for God. Part of having proper reverence for God is the ability to recognize God as God. Once we know God, we come to know ourselves more truly. St. Augustine simply put it this way: Know God, and know thyself. The readings for this Sunday from Matthew’s Gospel turn on this proper understanding of fear, and thus of knowing God and ourselves.

The Gospel reading opens with these words, “Fear no one.” These words are not a direct reference to “fear of the Lord.” We know this because Christ then goes on to elaborate, “And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.” Thus, the Gospel here speaks about literally being afraid, even as we might be afraid of death.

But Matthew’s Gospel is also drawing a careful distinction here that helps us to understand God, and ourselves in contrast. We, it says, cannot “kill the soul.” Yes, we can do great harm to one another, and we can even “ kill the body ,” but we do not have the power to kill another’s soul. In essence, the passage is reminding us that we are not the Lord of life. Only God is. And while we may suffer in this life, nothing can “kill” us in our innermost being, not even death. Yes, that is how significant the difference is between you, me and our God. He is our very life, in the most fundamental and essential way.

Do not be afraid

And so the Gospel reading goes on, “[Rather], be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body.” Here, it seems, the Gospel is referring to God. But is Matthew calling us to be afraid of God, or to have awe and reverence for God’s holiness?

Well, it could be a bit of both, at least initially. From St. Augustine (d. 430) onward, many figures from the Christian tradition have thought about this. Typically, they tell us that one begins by being afraid of God in a more literal way. As we come to understand that God alone is the Lord of life, we come to understand that we are not. Coming to know ourselves through such a contrast to God, sheds light on that thing that “kills” us: sin, and separation from life itself.

This should very well make us afraid. But this moment of understanding ourselves is also a moment of understanding God, one that instills awe and reverence for God and moves us back toward him. The contrast between God and our sinful selves, suggests an understanding of just “how low” God has “bent” in order to be with us and to bring us life. We now see the great humility of God’s mercy, and are struck with a more “perfect” fear, an awe and reverence for God, rooted in thanksgiving and love. We know God, and ourselves better.

Let us now turn to one last passage from this Sunday’s Gospel. As we turn, we should remember that Matthew once worked as a tax collector. This fact makes this passage more striking in its beauty. We not only hear Christ’s words as recorded for us, but we also hear them spoken as to Matthew in particular. And thus, we are offered Matthew’s understanding of himself and of God as revealed by God’s merciful activity on our behalf in Christ.

May these words from Matthew 10:29-31 help us to know God and ourselves, and move us to awesome thanksgiving: “Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 22, 2023

Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 6:7-15

Jesus tells his disciples that when they pray, they are not to set quantity of words before the quality of their prayer. The Father knows before they even ask what they need. Jesus teaches them a prayer with petitions expressing faith and dependence.

As you forgive us, we must be willing to forgive others. Sometimes, it is difficult. Help us to get beyond our limitations and to do as you do.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 21, 2023

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 6:1-6, 16-18

Jesus talks to the disciples not so much about what they do, though that is important, but about why they do what they do. If the motivation behind prayer, fasting and almsgiving is to impress others then it is not of God, nor is it pleasing to God.

Oh, there are times when I am tempted to “toot my own horn.” I am reminded that anything I do in your name, I do because of you.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Now is the time to find new ways to promote a culture of life

Wed, 21 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Kathryn Jean Lopez

We’ve entered the earlier stages of the Republican primary season. I already can’t keep track of the candidates and the town halls. When I was much younger, I confess, I loved such things. I would watch C-SPAN until I couldn’t anymore. But things are different. Roe v. Wade has ended. And politics in many ways will never be the same.

It’s been a year. I have a friend who is an expert at all things political, who has served at some of the highest levels. He’s pro-life. But he worried about Roe ending. He knew we weren’t ready. He was right.

Of course: I’m grateful it’s over. It was unjust. But have you noticed the headlines over the last year? Have you seen the confusion? Have you been subject to the anger? If I had a dollar for every young woman who admitted to me how confused she is, how she doesn’t know who to believe, I could have opened at least one maternity home by now. (And I should have done so anyway! We should be thinking in such crazy creative ways. Moms need housing!)

One year out, so many of us haven’t fully adjusted. How many of us are doing things differently? Maryland is stockpiling abortion pills to hand out. Colleges are establishing emergency-contraception vending machines. Lawyers at hospitals are telling doctors not to care for pregnant women with sepsis and cancer, supposedly. These are times that call for a renewed kind of radicality on our pro-life parts.

Stepping up to the plate

Whenever I say such a thing in public, pro-lifers tend to get mad at me. The protest is that babies are dying and we are defending them. The other side won’t bend over backward to try to understand our point of view, so why should we be overly sensitive to them and their wounds? The answer, it seems to me, involves the beatitudes . It involves Jesus in his passion and death. It has something to do with knowing too much about the wounds people are suffering.

A year after the Dobbs decision that ended Roe , Pope John Paul II seems to be beckoning us. So many of us can still remember watching him suffer at the end of his life. He entered into that with such humility and love and trust. That surrender can’t really be seen without a connection to what he taught about the human person — including the unborn, including the married, including the women who have had abortions. God’s mercy was for all of them. And we need to be protectors and messengers of that mercy.

Now, daily, we will continue to have headlines about the latest fight in a state to protect the unborn at a certain number of weeks or to expand the availability of abortion . There was a certain Washington Post profile of a governor who is eager for the latter, who was described as having a Ouija board casually on the wall of her summer home. I don’t think the reporter meant anything about that, other than describing a scene. It’s a scene we need to be aware of. There is, of course, a supernatural aspect to it all.

In New York, we’ve been dubbed the abortion capital of the world. Most of us haven’t stepped up to the plate to combat that in radical ways, honestly. We have some saintly people, don’t get me wrong. But we should be opening our hearts and our homes in more creative ways , thinking about how to reach young people in renewed ways.

The old ways don’t cut it.

Combat with love

If you are a sidewalk counselor here, or if you pray on First Saturdays outside Planned Parenthood on Bleecker Street in lower Manhattan, you see and hear things that seem to rival Hell. So, the Ouija board makes perfect sense. But the hearts of those who ponder and feel pressured to abortion are so much more complicated and tender. And evil wants to wreck their lives forever. The only way to combat that is with love.

We will all want to vote the “right” way. We will want a candidate who is not for doubling down on abortion. But the Gospel of Life is about so much more than politics. If we can communicate love through politics, thanks be to God. But that’s a challenge. And one not everyone is up for.

What more can we do to show love to the girl or woman most scared right now? Think of the girls and women in our lives. And think of the women who have no idea where to go for help. Those are the kinds of questions the moment we are in demands like never before. And I don’t know that we quite realize it yet.

Now is the time.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 20, 2023

Tue, 20 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 5:43-48

This final antithesis might be considered the most challenging. This is the standard set by God. It is human nature to love those who love you. God does not limit his love. He loves those who do good and those who do bad in the same way and so must the disciples.

Your ways can be challenging. That’s the point, isn’t it? I am not always going to be comfortable. Help me to accept that challenge knowing that with you all things are possible.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 19, 2023

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 5:38-42

Jesus tells his disciples that retaliation is not the way. There is nothing gained by getting even, responding to violence with violence. It becomes a dangerous cycle. The only way to stop the cycle is to respond with mercy and love.

“Turning the other cheek” is often easier said than done and it doesn’t always bring the results hoped for. But it is your way, and we must trust you, O Lord.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

What does it mean to be holy?

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

If you grew up Catholic, you probably remember being encouraged as a young child to be “holy like the saints.”

When put in this context, holiness seemed unattainable for those of us who, while not bad people, certainly are not saints. But a careful reading of the Gospels gives us a different understanding of what it means to be holy. Holy people accept the mission of Christ to help build the Kingdom. St. Paul tells us that holy people try to run their household well and raise their children right (see chapter 3 of the First Book of Timothy). Holy people talk to God through prayer, but they do not necessarily go on retreat and pray for days on end. The Benedictine motto, ora et labora , is a good guide for anyone trying to live a holy life. It means “Pray and work.” And seek God in all things.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Share the bounty of summer!

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Summer is one of the times of greatest need at local food shelves — many families who need assistance rely on school breakfasts and lunches to help with their food budget. With gas prices skyrocketing and the cost of goods and services on the rise, many families are feeling crunched this summer in particular.

Unfortunately, summer is also the leanest time for food collections because many people forget to give or don’t realize the great need. At your next BBQ or pool party, why not ask every family who attends to bring along a bag of nonperishable food from their pantry as “admission” into the party? Your local food shelf (and neighbors) will thank you.

This article comes to you from Take Out ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Still pondering ‘Ted Lasso’ and the redemption of ‘Nate the Great’

Mon, 19 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Elizabeth Scalia

(OSV News) Parting truly is “such sweet sorrow,” and in this era of anti-heroes, deep irony and unsympathetic characters, I miss “Ted Lasso.” Having found a well-written, brilliantly acted story about people I could actually care about — even if I needed closed captioning to understand most of them — I’ve felt the loss keenly.

Reason, and my oxymoronic, increasingly short attention span, both dictate that I should by now have found some new diversion, but this series about a relentlessly upbeat dad-talker and his effect on the people around him is still firing my synapses. Mentally, I revisit it daily and reflexively — the way one’s tongue revisits a missing molar.

Except, I know why I lost the molar; no questions there.

But of “ Ted Lasso ” I have questions. The final season left me with the same ambiguity I sometimes feel when I turn to God in prayer and ask, “So, that’s it?” And, “OK, I don’t understand, but I’ll try to take it as a gift. … I guess?”

For instance: Was Nate’s redemption arc supposed to be as unsatisfying to viewers as it seemed? This abnormal storytelling ignored the formulaic and well-established rule that villains must earn their redemption, and Nate — almost from the moment Coach Lasso acknowledged his gifts and elevated him from kit man to assistant coach — became truly vile toward the team and players he loved.

A meek, browbeaten man, Nate’s repressed anger emerges swiftly as he berates his young successor. He sneers to the coaching staff that they’d be fools not to take his advice. And well before he hurls a hurtful charge at Lasso for not keeping a photo of himself and Nate in the office (the coach keeps it at home, beside a picture of his own son), Nate brutalizes Colin, a good-but-insecure player, by making a devastating comparison between him and his teammates: “Artists, they’re artists. And, Colin, you paint, too, but your work doesn’t end up in museums. It hangs at — Well, you’re like a painting at a Holiday Inn. You don’t inspire. You don’t move people. You’re there. You cover a bloodstain. You do the job, so just do the job.”

In retrospect, perhaps Nate was projecting himself on to Colin, yet in that moment it was so easy to hate him. Forget that it’s just a story, or that we’d already seen Nate’s self-loathing and his need for his father’s approval. Forget that Nate had won our early sympathies. His vicious snarl toward the gentle Colin (whose mantra, given to him by a sports psychologist, was “I am a strong and capable man”), were loaded with the preening triumph of spite-at-large, and no matter what else we knew of Nate (yes, yes, hurt people hurt people, yes, his life was sad) as the darkness gathered him in we believed he’d earned our hatred.

So, naturally, he needed to earn our forgiveness if any redemption arc could be believable.

I’d begun to think of Nate as Judas, and to wonder whether the whole series was analogous to the Gospels, with Ted Lasso the Christ-mirror — the Incarnation of the Father, who is 100% love and who aches for us, longing for our return.

Nothing Jason Sudeikis ever said about the show he developed and starred in suggested there was a Christian subtext to any of it. And perhaps there was none, at least not on a “conscious” level.

But the Gospels have left their imprint upon the collective psyches of most of the West, and I cannot help reading it throughout the series, in every character’s storyline. In Nate I saw Judas, but then — when he unjustly expresses feeling unappreciated for his insights and loyalty to the team — he also becomes the older brother of the prodigal son, feeling entitled in his resentment. Later, he becomes a sign of resurrection, first enshrouded in his blankets, then isolated in his tomblike childhood bedroom, until he finally emerges, reclaiming parts of himself that he’d lost (his violin!) and becoming fully alive at the warmth of his father’s word.

Finally, he becomes the prodigal himself, trying to speak words of apology and contrition to Coach Lasso, who hugs him before he can manage them, because Nate is already forgiven. Like the father in that parable , Ted had already run out to meet him, even “while he was still a long way off” (Lk 15:20).

Materially, this remains an unsatisfying redemption story: Nate hasn’t done anything to earn forgiveness beyond feeling contrite. Spiritually, however, the scene explains grace in all of its mystery and simplicity: We don’t earn redemption. We simply turn back, and turn again, and again, as needed.

I hate “Ted Lasso” because it won’t leave me alone. I love it because it keeps me thinking. I hate that I won’t get to see Roy Kent interact with Phoebe again or watch Rebecca be a mother. Yet I love wondering whether the goofy, somewhat thick-headed barflies, Paul, Baz and Jeremy, represent Peter, John and James.

Was Ted Lasso about the Holy Trinity, after all? For certain, it highlighted the importance of fatherhood and unconditional love, and of setting our tent with each other, and of bringing forth our spirits to renew each other, and the world, and even a motley football team.

I marvel at all the ways the Gospel comes through to me via “Ted Lasso.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 18, 2023

Sun, 18 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 9:36—10:8

Jesus feels great compassion for the people. He uses two images to help the disciples see their need and to describe discipleship that fills the emptiness. They are like sheep without a shepherd and a harvest that needs workers. Jesus names The Twelve and passes his authority on to them.

You are the shepherd, and we are the sheep of your flock. Thank you for leading and guiding us. Let us lead and guide others in your holy name.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 17, 2023

Sat, 17 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Lk 2:41-51

The conclusion of the infancy narratives leads to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. Endowed with wisdom and grace, Jesus’ parents have faithfully raised him in the faith. Naturally, they are concerned about him. Jesus’ response to his parent’s question must have given them cause to begin to realize his destiny and their role in parenting him on the way.

All children are important in God’s eyes and have great potential in being instrumental in bringing about the kingdom. We pray for parents to recognize their responsibility in forming their children in the faith.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 16, 2023

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 11:25-30

Jesus praises the Father for those people most receptive to him. They are simple people open to God as opposed to those who are thought to be wise but are closed by their arrogance. Jesus invites those who believe to know and accept God’s law as that which will bring them refreshment and rest.

Though some may think it so, your law, O God is not a burden. It is a gift of love from the heart that brings freedom.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

We need to hear the harsh truths of God

Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By: Father Joshua J. Whitfield

I once climbed Mount Sinai — Jabal Musa it’s called today. It was very difficult.

Getting there was hard enough. By the time we arrived at St. Catherine’s , the ancient monastery nestled at the foot of the mountain, we were already worn out. Excited to be there, though, it didn’t matter. We had come to climb the mountain, so up the “Steps of Repentance” we started.

Quickly, however, for me at least, the climb got slow. As I said, it was difficult; I also didn’t realize fully, until soon each step became more labored than the next, how out of shape I was. Not only was it difficult, I wasn’t anywhere fit enough to climb mountains! Fortunately, however, I had friends — fitter, more experienced climbers than me — who stayed behind to help me. That itself was a spiritual lesson.

It was also dangerous. After all, it was a mountain I was trying to climb. Why wouldn’t it be dangerous? The path was sometimes unclear — no rails or signs or guideposts at all. One wrong step could be your last. Paying attention was essential, no matter one’s exhaustion. My stress increased as the air thinned, as my tourist’s false sense of security vanished into the clear sky. Difficult and dangerous and out of shape, it wasn’t the spiritual experience I had anticipated.

A harsh warning

But it was still a spiritual experience, just not as I planned. You see, although I foolishly carried with me up that mountain no food, no water, not even decent shoes, I did bring my little pocket Bible. A small thing, it sits on my desk today. And as I took my rest, sometimes every few steps as I needed, I took out that Bible. And I began to read, beginning at Exodus 19 .

And there I read those fearful words of God for the first time for all their beauty and all their truth. Reading these words comfortably at home, or studying them in some library, is a different experience from reading them in the desert. Those harsh words of God, harsh as we think them, for instance, those warnings about not even touching the mountain — “If anyone touches the mountain he must be put to death” (Ex 19:12) — they don’t seem as harsh in the desert and on the mountain. Sinai was and is a dangerous place. It’s a place for command, not the niceties of civilized persuasion. To keep people from getting hurt, or dying, or falling off a mountain, commands must sometimes be abrupt, clear and severe. I learned that on that mountain, about the word of God — about its harshness that, in my comfort, I often misunderstand.

Called by God

But, of course, God’s word is sometimes commanding, because God has taken possession of us, because he takes care of us, makes his own. “You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation” (Ex 19:6). On this mountain is where God first declared it, that we are a nation of priests for him, a nation that is ours in Christ (cf. 1 Pt 2:9 ). Again, that’s why God’s words are sometimes commands, why they sometimes seem so demanding. Because God made us a holy nation of priests. Out of the desert of this world, on the mountain of history, God has called us. The question is whether we’ll hear his call, harsh though it may seem.

Before we can hear Christ’s call to be laborers in the vineyard, we must recognize that we’re helpless (cf. Rom 5:6 ). We must recognize that even in our comfort we are in as precarious a place as the Sinai desert, and that we need God’s truth, no matter how harsh it may at first seem. We need not become vulnerable before the Lord; rather, we must realize our vulnerability. For only when we realize our smallness, our need for even God’s hard words, will we ever hear God truly — and ascend the mountain.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 15, 2023

Thu, 15 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 5:20-26

Jesus tells his disciples that they have got to set right the ways of the scribes and Pharisees. The people need to understand God’s teaching, the whole truth more radical than that which the leaders have been teaching. In the sermon, Jesus begins with a teaching about anger by going to the root of actions that can be manifest by an angry heart.

There is so much anger in the hearts of the people in the world today. We can see the destruction anger leads to and pray, dear God, for healing of hearts.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 14, 2023

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 5:17-19

Jesus wants his disciples and the people to understand that his intent is in no way to destroy or even change the law. He wants to teach that which has become skewed and misunderstood. At the heart of the law is the commandment to love and he will make sure that every word is understood as map and compass to right relationship with God and neighbor.

Your law, O God, is meant to protect all that is good, right and just and to guide us in becoming what you created us to be.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

How to bring the 40 Hours devotion to your parish

Wed, 14 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Rebecca W. Martin

Imagine that Jesus Christ knocked on your door and asked to stay with you for the better part of two days. How would you welcome him? What conversations would you have around the kitchen table? What transformations might occur, as you drew close to him in friendship and rested together in the living room? What incredible grace would be available to you?

Take that spiritual encounter and renewal, and multiply it by the number of people in your parish. Young and old, singles and families, lay and clergy, each experiencing the Lord’s love through his physical, tangible presence — it’s a lovely dream, and more than a dream. In the words of Pope St. John Paul II in his encyclical Ecclesia de Eucharistia : “The Eucharist is a priceless treasure: by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enabled to make contact with the very wellspring of grace. A Christian community desirous of contemplating the face of Christ … cannot fail also to develop this aspect of Eucharistic worship, which prolongs and increases the fruits of our communion in the body and blood of the Lord” (No. 25).

How do we “develop this aspect of Eucharistic worship” in our parishes, inviting each member to “make contact with the very wellspring of grace”? One immediately available method is the ancient tradition known as 40 Hours. It’s a straightforward practice: expose the Blessed Sacrament publicly in the parish church for 40 hours, during which parishioners take turns keeping watch so that Jesus is never alone. Typically, the devotion begins and ends with Masses, and might include the Liturgy of the Hours, a procession or a homily series. Many parishes combine 40 Hours with a parish mission, drawing the community together for prayer and preaching.

History of the 40 Hours devotion

40 Hours has been part of the parish life of the Church for well over 500 years. It flourished under the promotion of saints like St. Charles Borromeo, St. Anthony Maria Zaccaria, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Francis de Sales, St. Philip Neri, St. John Neumann and many others. In 16th century Milan, Italy, Eucharistic adoration would move from church to church every 40 hours, with parishes working together to keep the devotion running throughout the entire year.

In the Middle Ages it was celebrated as supplication in times of crisis; during the Catholic Counter-Reformation, as an effort at the renewal of popular devotion; in 19th-century America, as a way of unifying persecuted Catholics. In our own day, when so many Catholics don’t understand or believe in the True Presence, 40 Hours is the natural next step for our National Eucharistic Revival .

Why 40 hours? Scripture gives us repeated symbolic instances of the number: Moses’ years in Egypt, the years the Israelites wandered in the desert, the days of Jonah’s preaching in Nineveh, Jesus’ days of fasting in the desert and many more. We spend 40 days in prayer, fasting and almsgiving during Lent. Most importantly, from the crucifixion on the afternoon of Good Friday to the Resurrection on Easter morning, Our Lord lay in the tomb for roughly 40 hours.

Crisis, persecution, exile, penance, death — what do all these dark themes have to do with Eucharistic adoration ? The thread which binds them together is metanoia , that turning of the heart toward God which we also call conversion.

Those 40 years in the desert were an opportunity for the Israelites to be strengthened in faith. Jonah spent weeks pleading with the Ninevites to lay aside their sins and turn to God. Jesus’ own fasting prepared him to go out and bring souls to his Father, calling them to conversion. His death and resurrection opened the door for us not only to convert once, but to have an ongoing relationship with the God who loves us.

And that’s exactly what the 40 Hours devotion offers. In every era, in every cultural struggle, Christ comes in the Eucharist to be the heart of our communities. Made humble on the altar, he invites us to bring our troubled souls to him, and through him to the Father.

Practical Notes

Pulling off the 40 Hours requires us to believe not only in the Real Presence, but in the power of that Presence. It’s all well and good to believe that Our Lord is there in the bread and wine at Mass. What do we do with that? How do we let that belief change us? I would argue that one concrete and effective way is this ancient tradition of the 40 Hours.

How do we make this daunting exercise in faith actually happen? To be sure, it requires commitment, buy-in from parish staff and parishioners alike, eager to share Christ’s welcome. That is the first requisite. (Though I use “parish” for brevity, the 40 Hours also works well for Catholic high schools, colleges and Newman Centers, parish groups, etc.) Assuming willing volunteers, the effort would look something like this:

An invitation from the Church

In the words of Pope Benedict XVI in Sacramentum Caritatis , “In the Eucharist, the Son of God comes to meet us and desires to become one with us; eucharistic adoration is simply the natural consequence of the eucharistic celebration, which is itself the Church’s supreme act of adoration” (No. 66).

He continues: “The personal relationship which the individual believer establishes with Jesus present in the Eucharist constantly points beyond itself to the whole communion of the Church and nourishes a fuller sense of membership in the Body of Christ. For this reason, besides encouraging individual believers to make time for personal prayer before the Sacrament of the Altar, I feel obliged to urge parishes and other church groups to set aside times for collective adoration” (No. 68).

Pope Francis echoed this same enduring truth of the Church on October 22, 2022, saying “It is good to adore in silence before the Most Blessed Sacrament, to be in the consoling presence of Jesus and there to draw the apostolic impetus to be instruments of goodness, tenderness and welcome in the community, the Church, and the world. … Adore, immerse yourself in divine love and give it with full hands to those you meet on your path.”

Eucharistic adoration, whether personal or parish-wide through the 40 Hours, is never a solo endeavor. It is an outpouring of the Church’s efforts for the salvation of souls, and an invitation for us to enter into that effort. We rest with Jesus, spending time with him, and we are individually consoled and nourished. From him we receive the grace and strength to bring about renewal in our families, our workplaces, our parishes and our world.

Look for “40 Hours: An Adoration Companion,” a parish pew resource for the 40 Hours devotion, coming June 2023 by Our Sunday Visitor.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 13, 2023

Tue, 13 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 5:13-16

Salt and light are the images Jesus uses to convey the work of the disciples. Salt not only enhances, but it also preserves. Jesus’ disciples are to transform the world by preaching the Good News to preserve the integrity of Jesus’ vision and mission. Through them the light of Christ is to shine.

Let your light shine on and through each one of us so that others see you and turn to you.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 12, 2023

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 5:1-12

Jesus’ first teaching takes place on the mountain, a place of spiritual importance for the Jewish people. He begins by telling the disciples and the crowd gathered about very specific and unusual groups of people who because of their situation are blessed and truly happy.

We seek you, O God, to help us turn from anxiety and fear to you in complete trust.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

A Prayer for Fathers

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

God our Father, we give you thanks and praise for fathers young and old.

We pray for young fathers, newly embracing their vocation; May they find the courage and perseverance to balance work, family, and faith in joy and sacrifice.

We pray for our own fathers who have supported and challenged us; May they continue to lead in strong and gentle ways.

We remember fathers around the world whose children are lost or suffering; May they know that the God of compassion walks with them in their sorrow.

We pray for men who are not fathers but still mentor and guide us with fatherly love and advice.

We remember fathers, grandfathers, and great-grandfathers who are no longer with us but who live forever in our memory and nourish us with their love.

Amen.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

Summer meal prayers

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Summer is a wonderful time to gather friends and family together for outdoor meals and picnics. In the backyard, at the beach or at the kitchen table, these prayers are quick ways to praise and thank God for the great abundance of food we have been given.

“We wish food, peace and happiness for all the children in the world. Amen.”

“Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, that we are about to receive, from Thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Thank You, Lord, for this food which is set before us. May we use it to nourish our bodies, and to nourish our souls. Make us ever more mindful of the needs of others, and the needs of our planet. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

For food in a world where many walk in hunger; For faith in a world where many walk in fear; For friends in a world where many walk alone; We give You thanks, O Lord. Amen.

This article comes to you from Take Out ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

For a better future, children need their fathers

Mon, 12 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Our Sunday Visitor Editorial Board

While a mother’s importance to her family cannot be overstated, too often our culture overlooks the significance of a father’s presence in the life of his children. The influence of a loving and involved father plays a crucial, irreplaceable role in shaping a child’s character and development. As we celebrate Father’s Day, we must recognize the many benefits that come from growing up with a father who is actively present, engaged and nurturing.

Fatherhood is facing an unprecedented crisis in America. According to data from the National Fatherhood Initiative , 18.4 million children are growing up without a biological father, a stepfather or an adoptive father present in their home. That means that 1 in 4 American children are being raised without fathers.

The same organization reports that those children who are being raised without fathers are twice as likely to drop out of school, are at seven times greater risk of poverty and are seven times more likely to become pregnant during their teenage years. Without a father present, children are more likely to have behavioral problems, to abuse alcohol and drugs, and to go to prison.

A father’s contribution

On Father’s Day, there is no more appropriate time to contemplate what a father does that stems this trajectory. What does a father’s contribution add to the life of the child?

First, a father’s unconditional love reflects the unconditional love of our Father in heaven. Scripture says, “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are” ( 1 Jn 3:1 ). A father’s love does not replace or challenge a mother’s love; rather, it provides a unique strength that complements a mother’s love. The unwavering support of a father helps foster emotional stability and self-confidence. The indispensable love of a father contributes to a child’s holistic growth and provides a sure foundation of love and acceptance.

The love received from a father helps children to form relationships throughout their lives. Children who grow up with supportive and involved fathers are more likely to establish secure attachments, have healthier friendships and build stronger romantic relationships in adulthood. Fathers serve as positive male role models, demonstrating the importance of mutual respect, communication and emotional connection.

Furthermore, the example of a father models just and moral living for his children. By their actions and through their words, fathers teach their children how to navigate challenges, make virtuous decisions and treat others with kindness and compassion. Scripture says: “But rather, love your enemies and do good to them, and lend expecting nothing back; then your reward will be great and you will be children of the Most High, for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as [also] your Father is merciful” ( Lk 6:35-36 ). Fathers have a particular duty to emulate God’s justice, tempered with his mercy, and to hand on that balanced moral living to their children.

Additionally, fathers contribute to discipline by being consistent in their expectations and consequences. They establish clear rules and boundaries, ensuring that children understand which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. By consistently enforcing these boundaries, fathers help children develop a sense of structure and discipline.

A positive impact

Finally, active engagement with a father positively impacts a child’s emotional and cognitive development. One study has shown that fathers who read to their children make a significant impact on their child’s cognitive development, in part because fathers are more likely to ask challenging open-ended questions to their children during shared reading. That participation in shared reading also has been associated, positively, with children’s ability to regulate their emotions and their attention skills.

Just the presence of a father means a child will face a 23% lower likelihood of repeating a grade. Fathers encourage exploration, independence and risk-taking, fostering their children’s confidence to overcome challenges. Studies have shown that children who grow up with involved fathers tend to have higher levels of self-esteem, emotional intelligence and social competence.

Research consistently highlights the positive impact of involved fathers on children’s long-term success. Children who grow up with supportive and engaged fathers tend to have higher educational attainment, better career prospects, improved mental health and greater overall life satisfaction.

Listen to the science

All these studies and statistics in no way downplay the crucial responsibilities that mothers have in the formation of children, but while today’s culture tries to tell us that differences between the sexes are trivial at best — or even essentially nonexistent, and that all that matters is one’s conception of his or her “gender” — science clearly says otherwise, pointing to the critical nature of loving fathers.

Beyond financial support and physical presence, fathers play a vital role in shaping their children’s moral character and overall well-being. Their unconditional love, moral guidance, emotional support and balanced parenting contribute to their children’s emotional and cognitive development, helping them navigate the complexities of life with confidence and resilience. Let us cherish and appreciate the profound impact that fathers have on their children’s lives and work toward a society that recognizes the importance of involved fatherhood.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 11, 2023

Sun, 11 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 6:51-58

Physical nourishment satisfies and sustains life for those who eat but only temporarily as evidenced by the ancestors who ate manna in the desert yet eventually died. It is sacramental nourishment, eating the flesh and blood of the Son of Man that sustains the spiritual life through death and into eternity.

You are present to us in many ways but in the Eucharist, the bread and wine transformed your true presence gives us eternal life.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 10, 2023

Sat, 10 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mk 12:38-44

The religiosity of the scribes is superficial, intended to call attention to themselves. The widow willingly gives all that she has, a clear sign of her humble faith and absolute dependence on God. Her action is what it means to be “poor in spirit.”

We are thankful for the beautiful example of humility and complete trust as shown by the widow.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 9, 2023

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mk 12:25-37

The point being made by Jesus in this brief passage is to address questions the scribes have about Jesus’ place in the Davidic line as it seems to contradict his claim to be the Messiah. Jesus does not respond but denounces them and their hypocrisy.

God chose to be one with us, one of us. Jesus we are blessed to know your place in history, but more importantly to know you are God’s Son.

This content comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

All praise and all thanksgiving

Fri, 09 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by: Catherine Cavadini

“O Sacrament most Holy, / O Sacrament Divine, / All praise and all thanksgiving, / Be every moment thine!”

Many parishes recite this prayer together after receiving Communion. It is a beautiful prayer, and most fitting to Sunday’s solemnity of Christ’s Body and Blood. Perhaps what is most beautiful about this prayer is how it actually addresses the Eucharist just as it would address God: “all praise and all thanksgiving be every moment Thine!” With these words, we address someone: We greet and praise the Eucharistic Lord.

During this first year of national Eucharistic Revival , we have been called to renew our understanding of Christ’s true presence among us in the Eucharist. This Sunday, John’s Gospel helps us grow in understanding of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

Unlike the other Gospels, which recount the Last Supper in detail, John’s Gospel presents Jesus as teaching about the Eucharist at a synagogue in Capernaum. Thus, later in the Gospel, when Christ’s Passover comes, the disciples will connect Jesus’ teaching on the “Bread of Life” in Capernaum with the life given for them in love upon the cross. In truth, it is still this life and love that nourish us when we receive the Eucharist today. It is our bread: “ whoever eats this bread will live forever” (Jn 6:58).

But this can be a hard truth to grasp: “the one who feeds on me … who eats my flesh and drinks my blood,” that one will have life. What does it mean to “eat” the one whom we greet and praise in the Eucharist? And to receive life from such a meal?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is helpful on this point, lifting our minds to the fullness of the truth about the life we receive in the Eucharist. The Eucharist, the catechism says, is “Communion with the flesh of the risen Christ” (No. 1392). The Eucharistic Lord is the risen Lord! He is both the one who carried out our forgiveness on the cross and the one who conquered death by love. Thus, Christ’s own flesh was not only “given life” by the Spirit, but still “[gives] life through the Holy Spirit” today (cf. Catechism, No. 1392). This is the life that we receive when we feed on him.

It also seems that John, in comparison to Matthew, Mark and Luke, speaks about this life-giving food through the lens of an experience of Christ belonging particularly to John’s own life: the wedding feast at Cana . There are some biblical scholars now who believe this wedding feast may very well have been John’s own wedding feast. Whether or not John was the bridegroom in question, John still offers the intimate occasion of a wedding and its joyful meal as our first encounter with Christ, signifying the quality of a life lived in communion with Christ, vivified by the Spirit of Love.

As before, the Catechism tells us about this deeper reality, citing John’s Gospel: “the principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus. Indeed, the Lord said: ‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him'” (Catechism, No 1391; cf. Jn 6:56). Like Christ’s disciples, the Church connects Jesus’ discourse with Christ’s sacrifice of love: the giving of his very life for ours.

Thus, the next time we are before the altar for the celebration of the Eucharist, we should listen for Christ’s words, as if they are spoken directly to us: “This is my body, which is given for you,” and “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which will be shed for you.” And maybe we could respond to him, having sat at the table of our wedding feast, and respond:

“O Sacrament most Holy, / O Sacrament Divine, / All praise and all thanksgiving, / Be every moment thine!”

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 8, 2023

Thu, 08 Jun 2023 14:25:00 GMT

Mk 12:28-34

The scribe’s sincerity and honesty are revealed by his desire to understand Jesus’ “bottom line.” In response to the question posed, Jesus recounts the Shema from Deuteronomy and the command to love neighbor from Leviticus, combining the two into a beautiful summary of the entire law. Love of God and neighbor together are the core of God’s commandments.

Love of self cannot be left out of the equation. We are made in the image and likeness of God, deserving of all the good that God intends for us.

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June 7, 2023

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mk 12:18-27

The Sadducees, though presumed knowledgeable about God’s law, do not believe in the resurrection. They pose a question to Jesus through a complicated scenario about marriage relationships in the resurrected life. Jesus’ response exposes their narrow understanding about the law and the difference between temporal and eternal life.

Let us commit ourselves to a “deep down” understanding of God’s law of love that leads us in living and loving as God intends.

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A warning about ‘synodality’ in the Church from half a century ago

Wed, 07 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Russell Shaw

People fretting over the pros and cons of synodality should seek enlightenment in the story of “shared responsibility” half a century ago. History doesn’t literally repeat itself, but what happened then suggests why we need to move ahead carefully now while avoiding new mistakes.

Shared responsibility — the Synodality Lite of the 1970s, you might call it — was all the rage in the heady days right after the Second Vatican Council. Meetings were held and documents published promoting the idea, and preliminary steps were taken by setting up pastoral councils of clergy, religious and laity in dioceses throughout the country.

As planners saw it, the capstone of this burgeoning superstructure would be a National Pastoral Council where bishops, priests, religious and laypeople could hammer out policy for the Church’s socio-political program at the national level.

Call To Action

According to the plan, this national body would be a fusion of the U.S. Catholic Conference (created after Vatican II along with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops) with the National Advisory Council recently created to counsel the bishops.

But the Vatican stepped in and, in a letter to bishops, essentially said: No, not now. The reason seemed to be that a National Pastoral Council in the Netherlands was held to blame for the dismaying implosion of Dutch Catholicism then taking place.

Rather than go away quietly, however, shared responsibility made a noisy comeback via a boondoggle with the provocative name Call To Action. Who were called and to what action were left unstated. Promoted as the crown jewel of the American bishops’ contribution to the U.S. bicentennial, and preceded by “hearings” staged in several parts of the country to whip up interest, Call To Action brought together 1,340 delegates in Detroit for three days in October 1976 .

And who, you may ask, were those delegates? Conservative writer Russell Kirk, there as a journalist, called them “church mice.” Most were chosen by their bishops and, as later investigation determined, half were on the Church’s payroll.

Among the 218 recommendations produced by this highly unrepresentative body were proposals for ordaining women and married men, taking an open attitude toward homosexuality, approving contraception and giving Communion to divorced and remarried Catholics whose first marriages hadn’t been annulled.

The conference of bishops promised to study the proposals. Not surprisingly, that was the end of it.

Old things new again

The differences between then and now are obviously very real. Then it was the Vatican that nixed national pastoral councils; now it’s Pope Francis who is the moving force behind synodality. But the Call To Action of 1976 unquestionably has a family resemblance to the recent “synodal path” in Germany, with its much-discussed set of proposals that, while bearing the imprint of 2023, nevertheless sound remarkably like the Call To Action laundry list of 1976. Is this perhaps a case of what Yogi Berra memorably called “Déjà vu all over again”?

The Vatican shelved Synodality Lite at the national level half a century ago. But now, the Holy Father wants universal synodality, and the Synod of Bishops that meets this October (and again, for reasons not clear, in October next year) will undoubtedly give it to him.

Moreover, just as in 1976, now there really is a case for greatly expanding the participation of loyal, competent laypeople in setting directions for the Church. But the experience with Call To Action is a disturbing reminder that there also are excellent reasons to hope the big winner doesn’t turn out instead to be today’s woke Catholicism.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 6, 2023

Tue, 06 Jun 2023 04:00:00 GMT

Mk 12:13-17

The Jewish leaders pose a question to Jesus intended to “ensnare him in his speech” (v. 13). Jesus’ astute response exposes their hypocrisy. He places value in being a good citizen but greater value in being a child of God.

Jesus, the light of your truth is what leads and guides us on the right path.

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Benefits of being a believer: How our faith sustains us

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 12:00:00 GMT

By Joseph D. White, Ph.D.

Did you know that believing in God is actually good for your health and well-being? It’s true. Recent studies show that there are benefits to being a believer. A solid religious faith strengthens family ties, helps to build closer couple relationships, even helps to forge stronger community connections. In good times our faith reminds us that we were created in God’s image for the purpose of love; in tough times our faith is a foundation that grounds our very reason for being. Being a believer is good for more than just our souls!

Faith provides values for moral decision making. The values instilled by our faith support rules given by parents to young children and guide teens who may be striving to gain autonomy. The Church’s basic moral teachings help us to understand and clarify right and wrong. Our faith also teaches that God loves us unconditionally and grants us forgiveness for our mistakes and missteps along the way.

Faith is an important source of social support. Several psychological studies have shown that people with active faith lives are emotionally healthier than those without faith. One reason is the support we gain from being part of a larger faith community. When we are actively involved with our Christian family, we know that we are never alone. Social support is an important buffer against the stresses of everyday life, and can sustain us at crisis points, when we feel overwhelmed by difficult situations.

Faith sustains family life and relationships. Couples who integrate faith and family life have healthier relationships. One recent study showed that an integration of religion and marriage “were consistently associated with greater marital adjustment, more perceived benefits from marriage, decreased marital conflict and more verbal collaboration … for both wives and husbands.” In addition, the rituals we practice as a family become both important spiritual milestones and shared family experiences, which promote family identity and cohesiveness.

Five Simple Ways to Keep Your Faith Going Strong

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June 5, 2023

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mk 12:1-12

The parable Jesus tells in today’s Gospel anticipates what is to come. Jesus is addressing the scribes and there is no doubt they get the point. They are the Jewish leaders to whom the care of God’s people is entrusted. Instead of listening to God they reject every message and every messenger.

Though rejected by some, you became the foundation of God’s kingdom on earth. We pray for all who continue to reject the truth. St. Boniface, pray for us.

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Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Each year the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on a Friday19 days after Pentecost. The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is also a special day of prayer for the sanctification of priests. Since the solemnity usually falls in June, the Church has dedicated the month of June to the Sacred Heart.

The image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus represents his physical heart and his love for all mankind. Say the prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus often in thanks for the gift of Jesus’ love and for the priests who extend that love through their work in the name of the Church.

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

today I wish to live in you,

in your grace,

in which I desire at all costs to persevere.

Keep me from sin

and strengthen my will

by helping me to keep watch

over my senses,

my imagination

and my heart.

Amen.

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Undeterred by fear, China’s ‘Little Li’ offers an important lesson in religious liberty

Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

by Sofia Cornicelli

The following essay was selected as the winner of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ religious liberty essay contest on the theme “Witnesses to Freedom.”

Tongue pressed stealthily to the floor, the Littlest Witness consumed her Lord. In that brief moment, the darkness of Communist occupation recoiled from her tiny 11-year-old soul. Freedom poured over her as the night breezes did into the drafty church she was kneeling in. She exhaled, noiselessly, and rose, noiselessly, and exited, noiselessly. She would return again the following night.

She was the smallest of the seeds in God’s heavenly garden. A little mustard seed lost in the prickly haystack of Communist China. A soul so small that we are not even sure of her real name. Most call her, simply, “Little Li.” Nevertheless, her witness to religious freedom sprung up just like her Lord promised: as tall as a mustard tree. Her story, retold over and over with the purpose of inspiring those living under oppressive governments like herself, eventually inspired the dearly loved Archbishop Fulton Sheen, and he shared her story with his faithful 30 million weekly viewers. He claimed she was the inspiration behind his daily Holy Hours. Imagine, such a little witness to freedom inspiring so many!

A dangerous mission

This is something Little Li could never have foreseen on that fateful day when her parish priest was arrested. It was the day Mao Zedong completed his Communist takeover of China, in the middle of the 20th century. It was the day her church was “marked for obliteration.” Little Li watched, resolute, as her priest was locked up, a prisoner in his own church. She watched as the Communist soldiers tore her Lord from His most sacred home in the tabernacle and scattered His Body across the floor. She watched as they mocked His Real Presence. The majority of her fellow villagers fled to the safety of secularism. How her little soul, so inflamed with God’s grace, must have shuddered at the sight of her religious liberty being stripped away from her in only a day! Thirty-two hosts lay desecrated on the sanctuary floor, and she was only a little girl who could do nothing grand or monumental.

“Your Father who sees in secret will reward you,” the Evangelist Matthew reminds us. Little Li, under the stifling hand of her Communist oppressors, had no choice but to act in secrecy, and her Father did reward her. Each night, the imprisoned priest watched as Li’s little silhouette crept through a church window unnoticed. Each night, she observed a Holy Hour alongside her scattered Lord. Each night, for 32 nights unbroken, she consumed one of the desecrated Hosts. “Every single night,” Fulton Sheen relates in his 1982 autobiography, “she came at the same time until there was only one Host left. As she pressed her tongue to receive the Body of Christ, a shot rang out. A Communist soldier had seen her. It proved to be her Viaticum.”

A model of love

Just so, the Littlest Witness won her crown of martyrdom, and just so, she became a symbol of the fight for religious freedom. In one version of the story, the soldier who shot her, upon realizing what she was doing, was shocked by his horrific deed and released the imprisoned priest, saying: “Sir, if in every town there was such a little girl, no soldier would ever fight for the Communists!” Her actions, though small and carried out in the stealth of darkness, had proven to be a worthy opponent to the iron grip of communism.

Li’s little way of standing up for religious freedom, while demanding heroic bravery, is a more attainable method than the ordinary Catholic layperson might think. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that preserving our religious freedom is something to be left to the great minds of our country and our Church. Figures like St. Thomas More and St. Anselm, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison immediately come to mind. These great men had positions and opportunities that the ordinary Catholic laity often never come into contact with. Little Li, however, reminds us of the power of prayer and devotion to the Holy Eucharist. In her little way of simply keeping watch with Our Lord and receiving His Precious Body, she teaches us that the body of the Church can be just as influential as its leading members by being devoted to prayer and being willing, like the Littlest Witness, to give the ultimate sacrifice of our lives.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 4, 2023

Sun, 04 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 3:16-18

God loves us so much that he gave himself in the person of his Son to be with us. When the Son returned to the Father, the Spirit of their love remained to draw us into that relationship between Father and Son, the path to salvation.

What more could I want than to be loved by you, my Creator? Though I am drawn by worldly things and sin, I know you wait for me.

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June 3, 2023

Sat, 03 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mk 11:27-33

In their usual antagonistic way, the chief priests, scribes and authorities challenge Jesus with a question about his authority. He counters their question with one of his own. They realize they cannot answer without getting into trouble, so they tell him they do not know the answer. Their ignorance is apparent by this exchange.

I question you Lord, in times of crisis, or when your answer to my prayer is not what I want. My questions reflect my weakness. You are my strength.

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June 2, 2023

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mk 11:11-26

Cursing a fig tree seems uncharacteristic of Jesus and what does the incident have to do with the cleansing of the temple? The answer lies in the fact that the fig tree is an image for Israel from the Old Testament. Temple piety, the expression of faith, has become “fruitless” in Jesus’ time and he is frustrated with God’s people.

May our faith be a fruitful invitation to others to join us in the journey with Jesus.

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Meditating upon what God is

Fri, 02 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By: Father Joshua J. Whitfield

Trinity Sunday is different.

From Advent to Pentecost, the Church invites us to celebrate what God has done for us — his incarnation and manifestation, his death, resurrection and ascension. Last Sunday, we celebrated the descent of God the Holy Spirit upon the apostles at Pentecost. These are things God has done; they belong to the redemption he accomplished for us. This Sunday, though, we take a different angle. Not unrelated to what God does, of course, but we meditate this Sunday more upon what God is — and that is, as the Roman Missal puts it, “one God, one Lord: not in the unity of a single person, but in a Trinity of substance.”

The Trinity is important . The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls it the “central mystery of Christian faith and life” (No. 234). St. John Henry Newman called it the “ground of the Catholic religion.” It is indeed a nonnegotiable dogma distinguishing the Christian from the heretic. The old Athanasian creed put it bluntly, that whoever did not preserve the Catholic faith in one God in Trinity would “without a doubt perish in eternity.” Those are indeed high stakes, and I don’t want to frighten you. I just want to underline what the Church has always claimed, that our belief in the Trinity and our worship of God in Trinity really matters. It’s a theological truth no preacher should belittle or slough off, no Catholic of any kind.

But why? Because, as St. Augustine preached, our Catholic faith “is not a bundle of opinions” but instead a “summary of biblical testimonies.” And that, really, is how best to think about the Trinity, by taking account of the biblical basics of Christian belief and experience.

For starters, alongside our Jewish sisters and brothers, we are strict monotheists. For us, Paul said, “there is one God” (1 Cor 8:6). Christians accept the truth of the Shema, too — “The Lord is our God, the Lord alone!” (Dt 6:4). But then there’s Jesus and our experience of him. In addition to his mercy and miracles, he both said and did some Godlike things. He walked on water, calmed storms, healed a man born blind and called God his Father as we worked on the Sabbath as God does. “The Father and I are one” (Jn 10:30); “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). Jesus said and did things like that.

Which is why, before having any ready theological vocabulary (that would come later) the earliest Christians knew, as a matter of visceral faith, that what was said about the Holy One of Israel was also to be said of Jesus. They knew that the Father sent the Son, and that they are one, that mysteriously “the Word was God” (Jn 1:1). And, of course, Jesus also talked about the Spirit both he and the Father would give, “the Spirit of truth” (Jn 14:17); Jesus, remember, called himself truth, the same Spirit we’d find acting with personality in Acts of the Apostles and in whose name Christians were baptized.

This, of course, is but the briefest of summaries, insufficient indeed. My point, however, is simply that given biblical testimony, and seeing it from the standpoint of the first Christians trying to make sense of their monotheistic faith as well as their experience of Jesus and the Spirit, it makes perfect sense that theologians in short order would have used the word Trinitas . Because it well summarizes all these “biblical testimonies,” as Augustine put it.

But what does this have to do with us? Everything! The Catechism teaches the Trinity is the source of “all the other mysteries of faith.” Practically speaking, what this means is that by the light of our faith in the Trinity, we can also have faith that when we encounter Christ in prayer or in the Church in the sacraments, we truly encounter God. Baptism is no mere sign; it’s really a participation in his death and resurrection. The Eucharist is no mere sign; it’s really Christ’s body and blood. The Trinity is the dogma that makes such divine intimacy possible. Which is why it matters to all of us and not just a few random theologians.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

June 1, 2023

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 10:00:00 GMT

Mk 10:46-52

Bartimaeus, seemingly helpless and an outcast because of his infirmity takes the initiative by calling out to Jesus. The name by which Bartimaeus calls Jesus, Son of David reveals that he sees more clearly than those closest to Jesus.

You know what we need you to do for each one of us. We want to see you, to trust and to follow.

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May 31, 2023

Wed, 31 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Lk 1:39-56

Mary is prompted by God’s Spirit to visit her cousin. These two women have both miraculously conceived and yet, remain humble and faithful. Elizabeth honors Mary for her “yes” and Mary praises God for all that he has done for her and for all creation.

To believe the way these women believed seems humanly impossible. With God anything is possible.

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Encounter Jesus to be revived and changed

Wed, 31 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By: Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens

I am always amazed that on the road to Emmaus, as the two disciples journeyed from Jerusalem, they did not recognize Jesus when he started to walk with them. I theorize that they didn’t recognize his presence because they believed he was still dead. Strikingly, it is when they invite Jesus into their home and “he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them” that their eyes were opened (Lk 24:30-31).

In the Eucharist, they encountered Jesus Christ, alive. Changed by this encounter, they immediately ran back to Jerusalem to inform the other disciples.

We see that this encounter with the living Jesus makes all the difference in their lives and in ours. Pope Francis made this point in his apostolic letter on the Eucharist. He said, “Christian faith is either an encounter with Him alive, or it does not exist” ( Desiderio Desideravi , No. 10). He is making the point that he already made in his first exhortation on evangelization, quoting Pope Benedict XVI: “Being a Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction” ( Evangelii Gaudium , No. 7).

Christianity begins when we encounter the living God in the person of Jesus Christ — when we realize that he is the one who made us, who knows us, and who loves us even though we are not worthy of his love. When we experience that recognition that “Jesus died for me, to save me from my sins,” then as St. Paul said, “I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me” (Gal 2:20).

Every Christian needs some form of this encounter. Paul had it on the road to Damascus. St. Peter had it on the Sea of Galilee (Lk 5:8) when, realizing who Jesus was in the miraculous catch, he cried out, “Leave me Lord, I’m a sinful man!”

Jesus doesn’t leave him. In fact, he invites Peter to follow him and to lead his Church.

We could list many other examples of this encounter, including the woman at the well, the sinful woman who washes Jesus’ feet, the woman caught in adultery and Zacchaeus. The list grows with all the saints through history who encountered Jesus alive and followed him in his Church.

In each case, someone “meets” Jesus and realizes they are in the presence of God, incarnate. They recognize their profound unworthiness — their need for conversion — and, at the same time, they understand that they are infinitely loved by the one who knows everything about them. They know they cannot live without him and must follow him, in his Church.

Each of us should ask ourselves: Have I had this kind of encounter with Jesus Christ?

Do I believe he is alive and that he sees me and knows me right now?

When I stand in the light of his gaze, do I realize my profound need, that I am a sinner, but that also I am infinitely loved by him?

Pope Francis points out we need to continually seek this encounter: “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day” ( Evangelii Gaudium , No. 3).

This is one of the main reasons why Jesus leaves us the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Again, Pope Francis writes, “In the Eucharist and in all the sacraments we are guaranteed the possibility of encountering the Lord Jesus and of having the power of his Paschal Mystery reach us” ( Desiderio Desideravi , No. 11).

Jesus is alive. He is living in the Eucharist and wants to encounter you. If you open your heart to him, he will change you. If you let him, he will turn you into himself. Let us pray that we and many others might encounter Jesus alive in the Eucharist during the Eucharistic Revival.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

May 30, 2023

Tue, 30 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mk 10:28-31

God is the true source of life on earth and in heaven. Jesus’ response to Peter’s question is not meant to diminish the importance of familial relationships or even one’s home unless those take precedence over dependence on God. God must be first and foremost in one’s life.

When I rely on myself or the world, I falter, I fall. When I rely on you, I am held up by your strength.

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Friend, not slave

Mon, 29 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

“I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.” John 15:15

God is the owner and master of everything. Yet we are not his slaves. We are the stewards he trusts; the ones he invites to know him and his will. When we embrace the role of steward, we open ourselves to know God more fully. We foster that relationship by:

Stewardship draws us closer to God. Reading this post is a sign of your desire for you and your family to know God more fully. May the Holy Spirit continue to work in and through your family as you grow as trusted stewards of all God has given you.

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May 29, 2023

Mon, 29 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 19: 25-34

The scene is both tender and heartbreaking. The Mother and the beloved disciple remain with Jesus until the end. They are together in that moment and will remain so at Jesus’ instruction. The Church is born, and Mary is and will always be her mother.

Pray for us, Holy Mother of God. May we, the Church, carry on your Son’s mission until he comes again.

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What Catholics should know ahead of the Synod of Bishops

Mon, 29 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By: Msgr. Owen F. Campion

Several months will pass before October comes, but in October, many Catholics will be led, whether they like it or not, to think about their religion — some with delight and high hopes, others with disapproval and fear.

On Oct. 4, the Synod of Bishops will convene in Rome, remaining in session until Oct. 29, almost four weeks. It will recess and then reconvene in October 2024.

Catholics will take notice because of two factors. As part of a preliminary process, around the world many Catholics, not only bishops or clergy and including thousands of Americans , virtually in every parish, discussed Church policies, and even teachings, as preparation for the synod.

From these conversations came suggestions or opinions that pleased some Catholics but disturbed others, such as approaches by the Church to discuss the epidemic of divorce in Western society, sexual relationships between persons of the same gender, the definition and importance of gender, the place of women and minorities in the life of the Church, priestly celibacy, and migration from one country to another, to name only a few, subjects that often are controversial, even extremely so.

Topics heard in synod discussions will be extensively publicized by the conventional news media. Goodness only knows what opinions, hunches and guesses regarding the synod will fill the informal social media.

Already one point has been poorly reported: women in the synod . Women always have participated in synods, but until now only bishops voted on resolutions like the Synod of Bishops.

Be prepared. Handicapping formal reporting will be a reality that radically changed journalism. Profit drives everything. In this country, the news media networks and even local channels and radio stations are commercial undertakings, private businesses with shareholders or owners who want to make money. Well, American life revolves around making money, whether it be running a pharmacy, car wash, computer store or an airline.

In the television news media, 24/7 coverage costs big, big money. Competition is terrifyingly savage. Cable and broadcast, all fight to the death for viewers. Why? Viewers buy products or services provided by advertisers.

If advertisers see no sales, they do not advertise. The medium goes broke. Certain commercial news media react, to hold onto audiences, by telling people what the people want to be told. Sadly, too many people eat it up, as if agreeing with a reporter’s outlook confirms a report’s truth.

Biased reporting, at one time professionally despised as lethal to veracity in journalism, is common. Editors, reporters and commentators know that the sensational, as always, fascinates people, so the most outlandish, coincidental and unproven receive favor.

To cut costs, many American media reduced, or eliminated, reporting positions and processes for research once committed to religious news. Hiring specialists in religion to report religious news once was the standard. That day has gone.

In this environment, Catholics next fall will “learn” about the synod, but nobody will be helpless, without access to knowing what truly is underway in Rome.

Seek, and only trust, reliable Catholic news providers . Rely on good commentaries and analyses. Many are available, including OSV , as our long history shows. Separate opinion from reporting. Demand that a medium labels opinion.

Synods make no rules or regulations, define no Church teachings. Through systematic and organized procedures, they tell the pope at any given moment what is occurring across the world.

Popes successively, including John Paul II and Benedict XVI, relied on synods for information. No pope hears synod reports with any obligation. Any pope may or may not act in response, but always alone.

Catholics everywhere, in different cultures or circumstances, live and find their way to God. Christ established the Church to help people to find God. Thus, the pope, the Church’s chief pastor, must help them. The Lord promised to be with and guide the Church, always, through thick and thin.

This article comes to you from Our Sunday Visitor courtesy of your parish or diocese.

The "beautiful flower"

Mon, 29 May 2023 05:00:00 GMT

"The month of May cannot end; it must continue in our lives, because veneration, love, devotion to Our Lady cannot disappear from our hearts, on the contrary they must grow and be expressed in a testimony of Christian life, modeled on the example of Mary 'the name of the beautiful flower which I always invoke, morning and evening,' as the poet Dante sings (Paradise XXIII, 88).

"Cause of our joy, pray for us! Teach us to be able to grasp, in faith, the paradox of Christian joy, which springs up and blooms from sorrow, renunciation and union with your sacrificed Son: make our joy to be always genuine and full, in order to be able to communicate it to all! Amen."
—Pope Saint John Paul II, May 1979

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May 28, 2023

Sun, 28 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 20:19-23

The disciples are hiding behind locked doors. Jesus appears in their midst and twice offers them words of peace. It is now time for them to come out of hiding and go out to continue the mission he began. Jesus breathes on them in the same way the Father breathed life into the first human. They are filled with God’s Spirit.

I was an infant when baptized and an early adolescent when confirmed. It has been throughout my adult life that I began to grasp the life breath of your Spirit in me. Come Holy Spirit, come.

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May 27, 2023

Sat, 27 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 21:20-25

One word, beloved, gives us insight into the nature of this disciple and of the relationship he had with Jesus. What begins with focus on the one who is to betray seems to move to confusion about what the future holds for John. In a sense, Jesus is telling Peter to stop second guessing Jesus. God’s plan is in place unfolding in each one of the disciples.

Beloved disciple, you did not question or doubt. You knew him and loved him with your whole heart. Would that I could do the same. For that I pray.

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May 26, 2023

Fri, 26 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 21:15-19

In this encounter Jesus invites Peter to repent for his denial through love. Three times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, and three times Peter makes a profession of his love for Jesus. It is a beautiful balance followed by Jesus’ three commands given to Peter in keeping with the shepherd theme. Peter will carry on Jesus’ mission and will “lay down his life.”

Thank you for this beautiful example of what it is to reestablish relationship with you when we repent for our sins. St. Philip Neri, pray for us.

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The symbolic meaning of fire and water

Fri, 26 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By: Catherine Cavadini

Fire and water: These are two scriptural symbols of the Holy Spirit. We hear about them in the readings for Pentecost. In Acts, the apostles recall the “tongues of fire” that rested on the heads of Mary and the apostles at Pentecost. And John’s Gospel reveals the “rivers of living water” that well up in those whose faith thirsts for Christ . Let’s explore these two symbols of the Holy Spirit in search for a better understanding of the Spirit’s presence in the life of the Church.

First, the fire. The Holy Spirit is the Revelator, the One who reveals God to us. In the Old Testament, theophanies were often fiery. Think of the burning bush where Moses first encountered God, the “pillar of fire” that proceeded the Israelites through Egypt’s wilderness, and the “fire in the cloud” that rested above the tabernacle of God’s presence in the Book of Exodus. In each of these instances, the Holy Spirit was at work, revealing the “I am who am,” and drawing us into relationship with him.

In the Gospels, “God’s [same] Spirit, who reveals God, makes Christ known to us” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 687). Thus, the Spirit and the Son are co-missioned. And, as John the Baptist said: “Christ will baptize [us] with the Holy Spirit and with fire” (Catechism, No. 696). Indeed, Christ sent the Holy Spirit to the Church, signified by the “tongues of fire” at Pentecost. Still, today, we come to see and to love God through the revealing power of the Holy Spirit. And we are united with God in the Spirit, who sets our hearts afire with love.

The Church’s spiritual tradition witnesses to this Pentecost whenever her saints express their experiences of the Holy Spirit. St. John of the Cross, for example, asked God, “the Living Flame of Love,” to perfect his will with his “tender burn[ing]” (cf. “The Living Flame of Love”). St. Catherine of Siena tells us her soul “caught fire with unspeakable love” as she walked the Way of God’s Truth (cf. “The Dialogue”). And isn’t Mary’s immaculate heart depicted as flaming out with the fire of the Holy Spirit ?

Now for the water — an especially striking symbol when juxtaposed with fire. As St. Paul says, “Do not quench the Spirit” (1 Thes 5:19). To the contrary, the symbol of water draws upon our desire — our thirst — for the communion with God gifted in the Holy Spirit’s presence.

This Sunday’s reading cites the “rivers of living water” in John 7. But we encounter these “rivers of living water” again in John 19, the scene of Christ’s crucifixion. Upon Christ’s death, blood and water flow from his side. Here, too, the water symbolizes the Holy Spirit, for “the Spirit is personally the living water welling up from Christ crucified” (Catechism, No. 694). What a striking image!

It is just as striking to encounter this water symbolism in the saints. Catherine of Siena, for example, invites us to “drink” of Christ’s side, to be “inebriated” with truth, understanding, and love (cf. “The Dialogue”). John of the Cross says we “swim in joy” when united to God by the Spirit. “Like fish in the sea,” St. Catherine would add. Finally, some of the earliest depictions of the Annunciation show Mary drawing water from a well or a spring just as Gabriel arrives to announce that she is “full of grace,” “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit . In this moment Mary is the living image and archetype of the Church at Pentecost. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Mary’s heart flames out, announcing God’s presence amongst us in the co-mission of Christ and the Spirit.

And even today, the Spirit “overshadows” the Church, pouring out the Truth of Love. Thus, the Church “swims in joy,” united to the “unspeakable love” flamed forth at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is the river and fire of love, revealing the Lord and uniting us with him.

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June 6, 2023

Thu, 25 May 2023 13:47:00 GMT

Mk 12:13-17

Jesus, the light of your truth is what leads and guides us on the right path.

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May 25, 2023

Thu, 25 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 17:20-26

Jesus prays that the future disciples may be united. It is in that unity, modeled on the union between Jesus and the Father, that the mission will be most effective. Disciples will be recognized by their love for one another and followed because of that love.

If we could celebrate what we have in common rather than argue our differences, perhaps we will be better able to come together, united in you.

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May 24, 2023

Wed, 24 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 17:11-19

Jesus continues his prayer in final preparations for his departure. He prays and his prayers are very specific. In this Gospel, he prays for his disciple’s protection from the evil one. It is a petition like the one in the prayer he taught his disciples.

Through you, goodness and truth will triumph over the evil in the world.

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The commencement gift I never expected

Wed, 24 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By: Kathryn Jean Lopez

I didn’t go to my college commencement ceremony. I graduated in three years and had my diploma delivered by messenger to the office National Review then had on Capitol Hill. So, imagine my shock when a few days after my birthday this year in late March, I received a note from a staffer at the president’s office at the same school. It said that I was being granted an honorary doctorate from The Catholic University of America .

People who do public things do get honorary degrees. It’s always something to be humbled by. If any other school had sent me a similar letter, though, I would not have been absolutely flabbergasted. It would have been an immense privilege, but not near impossible for me to believe. If you told 20-year-old Kathryn that this would happen, she would have been saddened by your cruel humor. And yet, on the feast of Our Lady of Fatima 2023, it did, in fact, happen.

You see, I got kicked out of a dorm when I was an undergrad there. It was after a long fall semester of controversy. It started when I was working on student orientation and the president of the university at the time spoke to us before the freshmen arrived. I was already in the habit of taking notes whenever anyone talked. Why? To remember. And, yes, I worked on the college paper freshman year, had written at least one published secular op-ed, and knew that when interesting things happen, it’s often good to share. I also brought a tape recorder along for safety. Little did I expect some explosive material from the president — about the cardinals who traditionally serve on the board of CUA and about gay and lesbian and abortion groups on campus.

When that became national Catholic news in a midwestern paper known for watchdogging excesses on the left (for lack of a better way to put it), this was the end of any semblance of a normal college experience for me. (I had also become an undergraduate columnist for the law school paper, which got shut down for editorializing against the absence of crucifixes on classroom walls in the new law-school building.) But, goodness, did I learn a lot from it! I had some excellent philosophy and political philosophy classes at Catholic University. But there is nothing like the lived experience of an unexpected battle that is in your dorm hallways, student newspaper editorials and occasional comments from a religion teacher who happened to be a priest. And it all brought me to the most important place: praying — and crying — in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

The situation escalated after the president visited the residential college I was living in. Again, I was very obviously taking notes at an event that was well-advertised, albeit just to those living in the building. Looking back at notes from the time, I had long forgotten just how bad it had gotten. The president himself was making snide comments about not just the cardinals but me, a sophomore sitting in front of him taking notes.

The dorm leadership would soon move to punish me with an official reprimand, which was the beginning of the message that I had to leave for disturbing the community, which was my last campus act before Christmas, to move across campus. There was a whole lot of other drama, but the important thing is that this is a story of redemption and reconciliation.

The Catholic University never succumbed to some of the evil that other institutions did, but it fell under the influence of some of the confusions of the sexual revolution and misinterpretations of the Second Vatican Council. And in subsequent administrations, the Catholicism of the place has been emphasized. It has been a motivation in hiring. Virtue is a big part of the witness and instruction to students. Today, it is a place worthy of its name.

As the current president, Peter Kilpatrick , handed me my honorary doctorate in humane letters, he said: “We’re so proud of you.” That healed a wound I didn’t know still needed to be healed.

My first commencement (this year!) was a truly beautiful weekend in so many ways. My favorite part, though, came the next morning in a private Mass in a house of formation I spent much time at as an undergraduate. Two priest friends — one of them a classmate from the time — offered Mass for the repose of the soul of that president from my time at CUA. Loving prayer is the most important thing. Forever and always.

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May 23, 2023

Tue, 23 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 17:1-11

Jesus prays directly to the Father in words reminiscent of the “The Lord’s Prayer” but much more in depth, intimate and personal. Then he prays as intercessor for his disciples, present and future. Though still in the world Jesus is poised between heaven and earth.

You prayed for us then. You pray for us now. Thank you.

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Archbishop Coakley’s letter on gender dysphoria is valuable, full of love

Mon, 22 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

By: Msgr. Owen F. Campion

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City has written an official pastoral letter for the people of his archdiocese about gender dysphoria, to use the scientific term, or changing sexual identity.

It is safe to say that his letter , and its analysis of Catholic doctrine in very controversial considerations, will provoke opposition, probably loud, and likely, and sadly, given the times, rude. Even Catholics will challenge its points, arguing, for example, that its deductions are stretched, that it ignores popular theories, or that Archbishop Coakley should keep his opinions to himself.

Indeed, it may displease people in Oklahoma, a state usually known for its conservative religious and political leanings, although just as the archbishop’s letter coincidentally was made public, a bill, passed by Oklahoma’s legislature and soon signed into law by the governor, limiting medical procedures that change gender, neared enactment.

Archbishop Coakley presented this letter in his capacity as chief pastor of the Church in that part of Oklahoma and as a bishop of the universal Catholic Church, with all the serious responsibilities involved, in full communion with the bishop of Rome.

The archbishop’s letter looks at a real and much debated question in modern Western life carefully and studiously, but explicitly through the prism of Christian belief and Catholic teaching, as he interprets such teaching. He met his obligation to give to the people whom he was sent to teach his honest, deliberate and prayerful thinking on a matter of consequence.

If the letter creates discussion, if people study it well, calmed and inspired by prayer, and with open minds acknowledging God, it is most valuable. Always, in everything, humans need for good judgment the revelation of God, as understood by the Church.

Often, American Catholics have found themselves amid differences, raging differences, bitter differences at times, in this society, such as the rights of workers, the legitimacy of labor unions, collective bargaining, wages, working conditions and benefits for employees, the use of liquor, the availability of divorce, communism, Medicare, systemic poverty, nuclear weapons and immigration from abroad.

Catholic authorities in this country firmly spoke in favor of civil and human rights for African Americans.

Legal abortion came into conversation in the 1960s. The U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion with its Roe v. Wade ruling in 1972. The Catholic bishops in this country, strongly supported by successive popes, boldly and publicly opposed abortion on demand. On all these occasions, many Americans, often of goodwill, trying to form their own opinions, weaving through many arguments, wondered how precisely the Church formed its teaching.

They ask the question still. Mass communications have long been quickly available and extensive. Catholic teachings are readily at hand for anyone who takes the time to research them in a range of media, but people said, and say, these teachings are unclear.

Others insisted that when Church leaders talk about workers’ strikes, or poverty, or war, they go too far.

The archbishop explained his conclusions, as he saw the logic, and he implied that nothing in life is too far away for the application of Christian principles, be it a spouse’s resolution to honor marriage vows, shoplifting a mobile phone or one nation’s invasion of another.

As for gender preference, or gender dysphoria , again to employ the clinical term, anywhere, beyond Oklahoma, implications are widespread, affecting Catholics with policies in schools and organizations, let alone relationships, marriages and even applications to seminaries.

Revelation is revelation, but the archbishop beautifully urged everyone to love each other and to love those who, for reasons deep within themselves, cannot accept in peace the sexual identity of their birth. People deserve peace of heart.

Our society has too much mean-spiritedness and hatred. The archbishop counseled love without qualification, but that we look to the Lord for guidance, and for peace, in everything.

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Good Grief

Mon, 22 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

from Take Out

Celebrating the special joys of holidays can be especially difficult when a loved one has died. The clichéd images of family togetherness and the often unrealistic expectations of times filled with picture-perfect, joyful gatherings can cause tremendous stress for those who are not grieving, let alone for those in the midst of the painful, isolating experience of loss. Here are some ways to help find peace in the midst of grief:

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May 22, 2023

Mon, 22 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 16:29-33

Despite their affirming their belief Jesus warns the disciples. They may be with him now but very soon they will scatter. And though his followers, his friends abandon Jesus he is not alone. Jesus is with his Father in glory.

There is so much suffering in the world today. As you promised if we remain with you, we will find peace.

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The voice of Jesus

Mon, 22 May 2023 05:00:00 GMT

During his passion, Jesus was asked by Pilate, “What is truth?” Had Pilate only looked with the eyes of humble faith, he would have seen Truth standing before him! Jesus tells Pilate and each of us: “For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (Jn 18:37). Listening to the voice of Jesus, we will learn with humility and deep appreciation the depths of God’s love for humanity. But listening for the voice of Christ calls us to order our lives accordingly. We are to live in the world, but not be of the world. Rather, we are to be people who steward God’s love and truth as co-workers with God through the Holy Spirit.

This article comes to you from Grace In Action ( Our Sunday Visitor ) courtesy of your parish or diocese.

May 21, 2023

Sun, 21 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Mt 28:16-20

It’s time. Jesus has prepared the disciples for this moment and promises to remain with them throughout. They are to go out and bring others into relationship with him so that those they witness to will do the same.

It is life giving to know all about you but to know you, to be in relationship with you is the greater gift.

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May 20, 2023

Sat, 20 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT

Jn 16:23-28

We begin today’s Gospel with the same verse at the end of yesterday’s Gospel. Soon Jesus, forever one with the Father, is to be with the Father. Jesus tells the disciples that they and all who believe in him are to go directly to the Father for all their needs.

There is so much joy in your love for us and our love for you because we know that you and the Father are with us through it all.

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