Month: October 2019

Faith and Greed

It is the feast day of St. Gaspar de Bufalo. He had an unwavering faith, much like that of Abraham in the first reading. If you are like me and not familiar with this “little man”, he is credited with the devotion to the Precious Blood of Christ and a missionary order. Like Abraham in today’s first reading, Gaspar’s faithfulness was definitely “credited to him as righteousness.”

In today’s gospel, Jesus firmly rebukes the crowd against all greed. One of the seven deadly sins, greed, is a cornerstone of idolatry, taking us away from the love and worship of God, which is clearly stated in the first commandment. Yet I cannot truthfully say that this is something that I bring to confession. 

Fr. Wade Menezes, CPM wrote the following to help expand on this concept of harm to oneself.

Let’s comb through the Church’s traditional list: for the capital sin or vice of pride, the opposite corresponding virtue is humility. For avarice (or greed), generosity. For lust, chastity. For anger, meekness. For gluttony, temperance. For envy, brotherly love. And for the vice of sloth (or acedia), there is the virtue of diligence.

But each of the seven capital sins also has an opposite “extreme” which also acts contrary to the corresponding virtue. For pride, the opposite extreme is self-loathing; for avarice (or greed), it’s wastefulness; for lust, it’s prudishness; for anger, it’s servility; for gluttony it’s deficiency; for envy its pusillanimity (i.e., cowardice or timidity); and for sloth (or acedia), it’s workaholism.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (cf. 1866) rightly identifies the seven capital sins as sins that engender other sins and vices. In general, vices can be classified according to the virtues they oppose, and the capital sins and each one’s opposite corresponding virtue are a primary example of this truth.

Yikes! By my ignorance, I continue to perpetuate and cause more sin! I need to examine my actions and conscience to be much more attentive to the sins I’ve perpetuated in so many ways. I go to communion to nourish myself on the journey, yet am I truly aware of the deeper meanings of Eucharist and the sacrifice that Jesus made for us? I cannot speak to this with more authority than did Henri Nouwen. He wrote:

“Celebrating the Eucharist requires that we stand in this world, accepting our co-responsibility for the evil that surrounds and pervades us. As long as we remain stuck in our complaints about the terrible times in which we live and the terrible situations we have to bear and the terrible fate we have to suffer, we can never come to contrition. And contrition can grow only out of a contrite heart. When our losses are pure fate, our gains are pure luck! Fate does not lead to contrition, nor luck to gratitude.

Indeed, the conflicts in our personal lives, as well as the conflicts on regional, national, or world scales, are our conflicts, and only by claiming responsibility for them can we move beyond them—choosing a life of forgiveness, peace, and love”.

The more frequently I receive the sacraments of reconciliation and Eucharist, the greater the need for conversion in my life. I must boldly make a choice to live out my Catholic faith in all aspects. I must act as a light in this world. 

St. Francis of Assisi said, “We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way.” What is your faith calling you to do?

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

Monday of the Twenty-ninth Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Rom 4:20-25

Brothers and sisters:
Abraham did not doubt God’s promise in unbelief;
rather, he was empowered by faith and gave glory to God
and was fully convinced that what God had promised
he was also able to do.
That is why it was credited to him as righteousness.
But it was not for him alone that it was written
that it was credited to him;
it was also for us, to whom it will be credited,
who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,
who was handed over for our transgressions
and was raised for our justification.

Responsorial Psalm Luke 1:69-70, 71-72, 73-75

R.(see 68) Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
R. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people.

Alleluia Mt 5:3

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 12:13-21

Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,
“Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me.”
He replied to him,
“Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?”
Then he said to the crowd,
“Take care to guard against all greed,
for though one may be rich,
one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

Then he told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.
He asked himself, ‘What shall I do,
for I do not have space to store my harvest?’
And he said, ‘This is what I shall do:
I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.
There I shall store all my grain and other goods
and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you,
you have so many good things stored up for many years,
rest, eat, drink, be merry!”‘
But God said to him,
‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;
and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?’
Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself
but is not rich in what matters to God.”

– – –
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Pray Without Ceasing

At first, it seemed pretty easy to follow what today’s Gospel is asking us to do: pray without ceasing. Be like the persistent widow who continuously bothers the judge until he finally delivers a decision for her. A simple request, right? But the more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized, wow, I don’t do that. When I want something, I ask God for it, and if I don’t have it in about a week, I ask, “Why is God putting me through this challenge? Why is He asking me to carry this cross?” Yup! Very dramatic, but also not very far from the truth. But Luke tells us that, unlike the judge, God will deliver justice for us speedily. So why does it always seem like we’re waiting, and waiting, and waiting, and waiting for God to answer our prayers? Why does it look like our persistence never pays off? Well, perhaps our idea of speedily and God’s idea of speedily are very different from one another.

The responsorial psalm for today is, “Our help is from the Lord, who made Heaven and Earth.” For me, it served as a reminder that God is all-powerful and all-present. He knows exactly what each person needs, as well as what each person wants. He is not a vengeful God; rather, He is a loving, merciful, and just God who wants nothing more than for us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. That fact tends to be easy for us to believe, at least in theory. But when it comes to putting that theory into practice, it tends to be a little more difficult. It is easy for us to lose faith when it seems as though God is not answering us, especially when we think we deserve a “quick” answer. We need to change our attitudes from “I am going to pray unceasingly so God will give me what I want/deserve” to “I am going to pray unceasingly so I can meet God face to face in all His glory.” Because, ultimately, that’s what this life is for. There’s that old song that says, “Some of God’s greatest gifts are unanswered prayers,” but maybe those prayers aren’t unanswered; they’re just answered in a way different than what we wanted or expected. By placing our own expectations on God and imposing our own wills on Him, we thereby don’t allow our wills to conform to His.

We are also reminded of the importance and necessity of persistence in the second reading from 2 Timothy. Not only do we need to be persistent in our pursuit of heaven and in our relationship with God, but we must also be persistent in our duty to bring souls with us to heaven. “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingly power: proclaim the word; be present whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, and encourage through all patience and teaching.”

Even when it’s not convenient for us, even when we’re in a secular work environment, even when we don’t want to say grace in public because we’re afraid of what others might think, even when our culture tells us that we’re wrong for believing in a universal truth, even when it feels like we’re getting nowhere….may we never lose hope in His providence, His grace, and His faithfulness.

St. Paul of the Cross, pray for us!

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Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO is studying for her Master’s in Spanish, and loves her job as an elementary school librarian. She is married to the love of her life, Ralph. In her spare time, she reads, goes to breweries, and watches baseball. Dakota’s favorite saints are St. John Paul II (how could it not be?) and St. José Luis Sánchez del Río. She is passionate about her faith and considers herself blessed at any opportunity to share that faith with others. Check out more of her writing at https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com.

Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Ex 17:8-13

In those days, Amalek came and waged war against Israel.
Moses, therefore, said to Joshua,
“Pick out certain men,
and tomorrow go out and engage Amalek in battle.
I will be standing on top of the hill
with the staff of God in my hand.”
So Joshua did as Moses told him:
he engaged Amalek in battle
after Moses had climbed to the top of the hill with Aaron and Hur.
As long as Moses kept his hands raised up,
Israel had the better of the fight,
but when he let his hands rest,
Amalek had the better of the fight.
Moses’hands, however, grew tired;
so they put a rock in place for him to sit on.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
And Joshua mowed down Amalek and his people
with the edge of the sword.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 121:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R.(cf. 2)  Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Reading 2 2 Tm 3:14-4:2

Beloved:
Remain faithful to what you have learned and believed,
because you know from whom you learned it,
and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures,
which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead,
and by his appearing and his kingly power:
proclaim the word;
be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient;
convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.

Alleluia Heb 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
discerning reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.'”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

– – –
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

It Depends on Faith

In today’s first reading, we read that God’s chosen people, Abraham’s descendants, were not going to be saved because they followed the law, but because they had faith. Reading this, I was reminded of a conversation that my family once had at the table one Sunday. 

To give a bit of background, my Sundays growing up were for family. We would attend Mass together, socialize with our parish family, gather in the kitchen as my dad cooked breakfast, then eat as a family. After breakfast, we would stay at the table, talking for an hour or more. During these post-breakfast discussions, we normally discussed that morning’s homily and the readings. Even now, I’m nostalgic!  

One Sunday, we got on the topic of being a good person versus being a good Christian/Catholic. I remember how funny it was because although we were all on the same side, it became a heated debate. We all (loudly) agreed on the fact that being a “good person” is all fine and dandy, but without the love of God and trust in God behind the action, you are not earning your place in heaven. 

Our faith is what separates us from other religions. Our faith is what gives us passage to life eternal. Following rules for the sake of following rules, even the commandments, is only the surface level of the faith that we are taught. We are meant to believe, to have faith, and to live out Christ’s mission of truth and love for all creation.

In today’s Gospel, we are reminded again of the strength that faith has as Jesus tells us: 

“When they take you before synagogues and before rulers and authorities, do not worry about how or what your defense will be or about what you are to say. For the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you should say.” (Luke 12:11-12)

This passage reminds us that through faith, we are given all the tools we need to not only make it through our days here on earth, but the tools needed to guide us to Heaven. 

If our salvation and redemption rely on faith, are you confident in your trust in the Lord? Does your faithfully rely on God, or are you still fighting for control? 

How much faith do you put in your faith? 

Click here to read some helpful tips on “Trusting God Through the Storm”.

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