Month: July 2020

St. Margaret of Antioch: Saint of the Day for Monday, July 20, 2020

Nothing certain is known of her, but according to her untrustworthy legend, she was the daughter of a pagan priest at Antioch in Pisidia. Also known as Marina, she was converted to Christianity, whereupon she was driven from home by her father. She became a shepherdess and when she spurned the advances of Olybrius, the prefect, who was infatuated with her beauty, he charged her with being a Christian. He had her tortured and then imprisoned, and while she was in prison she had an encounter with …

Prayer to the Holy Spirit: Prayer of the Day for Monday, July 20, 2020

Breathe into me Holy Spirit, That all my thoughts may be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT: Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity. Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us …

The Vineyard of Faith

Today’s Gospel message is one that I struggle with quite often. I find myself saying, “I got here first” or “I’ve been waiting longer”. Sometimes I ask myself, “I’ve worked harder and longer. Why am I not reaping the same benefits or rewards and someone else who has not worked as hard or as long as I have?” Then I hear this parable and am immensely humbled. How many people serve God in a greater capacity than I do? A ton! Great saints like John Paul II, Gemma Galgani, Jose Luis Sánchez, and Martin of Porres dedicated their lives to Christ and His Church. Comparatively, I do very little. But rather than resigning myself to the fact that I may never “measure up” to their faith, I look to the saints as inspiration for my own life and I ask for their intercession. And what about those who have not yet come to the faith? Would we reject them just because they are coming to the faith later than we are? Absolutely not! We welcome them with open arms because we are grateful that they have come to know the same love of God that we know.

Today’s Gospel serves as a humbling reminder that God is generous and merciful. He desires for us to be united with Him in His Heavenly Kingdom whether we come to His vineyard at 5 years old or at 95. It is not an effort of ours or merit we can earn that grants us God’s love. Rather, He loves without condition and makes His love equally available to all.

When we come to God’s vineyard, He envelops us in His love which we hear of in today’s Responsorial Psalm. Every time I hear or read Psalm 23, I think of myself in preschool. I don’t have many memories of preschool; in fact, I don’t even remember my teacher’s name or the names of any of my classmates. What I do remember, however, is being taught Psalm 23. “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” For a long time, I wondered why that psalm and why at such a young age? Looking back now, I think I understand. Our teacher wanted us all to be confident in and of God’s everlasting love for us. If we know that love at a young age we can grow up knowing Him and loving Him, and even perhaps begin bringing more laborers to His beautiful vineyard.

May we always remember the love of God and may we continue working as laborers in his vineyard.

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Dakota currently lives in Denver, CO and teaches English Language Development and Spanish to high schoolers. 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.

St. Arsenius the Great: Saint of the Day for Sunday, July 19, 2020

Confessor and hermit on the Nile. Arsenius, who was born in Rome in 354, was the tutor of the children of Emperors Theodosius I the Great, Arcadius, and Honorius. At that time, Arsenius was a Roman deacon recommended for the office by Pope St. Damasus. lie served at Theodosius’ court in Constantinople for about ten years and then became a monk in Alexandria, Egypt. Inheriting a fortune from a relative, Arsenius studied with St. John the Dwarf and became a hermit in the desert of Egypt. In 434, …

The Perfect Will of God

A will, a desperate attempt to put things in order and give the loved ones in our lives their due if anything were to happen to us. Free will, that messy and confusing thing which allows for wars, death, unhappiness, and pain but also allows for true love, joy, and peace. God’s will, something that we know keeps all the world in motion, but that is also impossible to grasp with our human reason because we cannot see with the eyes of God.

God’s will isn’t directly spoken of in the Gospel, but we see a glimpse of it. Jesus, being both God and man, knows that he has a purpose that he is getting closer and closer to. He also knows he has a limited time to minister to the people he is with on the earth. With this knowledge, when the threat of death came to Jesus, he left the area.

This was not because of fear or rejection of the will of the Father, quite the opposite. He knew this was not yet his time and so he left to a place where he could continue to minister to others and heal the sick.

There has been a lot of talk about the end of the world in 2020. All the things this year has brought has made people wonder about when Jesus will return, but the reality is, the end of the world is not yet here.

Whether it is coming soon or not our focus should not be to try and figure out when it is but to go where we can still minister, love, and heal. Let’s take a lesson straight from Jesus’ actions and try to find moments where we can escape the evil that is currently going on and instead bring people hope.

Whether the world ends tomorrow or in 2,000 years, let’s make sure that when Jesus comes we are busy doing exactly what he would have done. God’s will is perfect and he has us exactly where we need to be to bless the people he wants us to meet. May we all have the strength and joy to live it well. God Bless!

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Tommy Shultz is Director of Evangelization for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative and the founder of Rodzinka Ministries. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. Tommy has a heart and a flair for inspiring people to live their faith every day. He has worked in various youth ministry, adult ministry, and diocesan roles. He has been a featured speaker at retreats and events across the country. His mission and drive have been especially inspired by St. John Paul II’s teachings. Tommy is blessed to be able to learn from the numerous parishes he visits and pass that experience on in his presentations. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith.

St. Frederick: Saint of the Day for Saturday, July 18, 2020

St. Frederick, Bishop of Utrecht, Martyr Frederick was trained in piety and sacred learning among the clergy of the Church of Utrecht. Being ordained priest, he was charged by Bishop Ricfried with the care of instructing converts, and about 825 he was chosen to succeed him as bishop of Utrecht. The new bishop at once began to establish order everywhere, and sent St. Odulf and other zealous and virtuous labourers into the northern parts to dispel the paganism which still subsisted there. …

Act of Faith: Prayer of the Day for Saturday, July 18, 2020

O my God, I firmly believe that you are one God in three divine persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe that your divine Son became man and died for our sins, and that he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe these and all the truths which the holy catholic Church teaches, because in revealing them you can neither deceive nor be deceived.

I Desire Mercy, Not Sacrifice

Yes, it is a Friday and today’s Gospel is about the sabbath law. The Catholic Catechism refers to sabbath law directly in number 2173:

“The Gospel reports many incidents when Jesus was accused of violating the sabbath law. Jesus never fails to respect the holiness of this day. He gives this law its authentic and authoritative interpretation: “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath.” With compassion, Christ declares the sabbath for doing good rather than harm, for saving life rather than killing. The sabbath is the day of the Lord of mercies and a day to honor God. “The Son of Man is Lord even of the sabbath” (Mt 12:8).

My focus has kept coming back to the dynamic of man imposing his will and interpretations on God’s kingdom and God’s law. We bicker and wage war about laws, institutional structures and rights while so many innocents suffer and are sacrificed. When does the realization occur that a paradigm shift must occur else the vicious cycle continues? When does mercy and love reign in our midst?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines mercy:

“1a: compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power : also : lenient or compassionate treatment : begged for mercy
b: imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2a: a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion : May God have mercy on us.
b: a fortunate circumstance : twas a mercy they found her before she froze
3: compassionate treatment of those in distress : works of mercy among the poor at the mercy of : wholly in the power of : with no way to protect oneself against”

Did any of the above definitions bring to mind current situations in the USA or internationally? The numerous challenges to our world are great: a global pandemic, racism, climate change and poverty have magnified the tremendous disparities in our communities and need for change.

I invite you to take the time to reflect and pray about what you are called to do to help provide a chance for a paradigm shift to occur. The alleluia verse says that we hear the Lord’s voice; he knows us and we follow him. Are you able to hear and listen to the Lord’s voice? Are you able to apply His voice to what is happening in your life today? 

Please pray with me: 

Creator Lord Jesus, I trust that your will be done in my life. Give me the eyes to see and the courage to do what you ask me to do for your kingdom on earth. Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus, I trust in you. Amen.

Here are some readings to ponder.

I desire mercy
I have blind spots
Georgetown U: The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life
Feeding America Impact
Covid-19 and Global hunger
Covid-19 and Immigration
Break the cycle of distraction 
Can Catholics support black lives matter?
Covid-19 and disaster recovery workers
Covid-19 Who gets counted?
Parishioners ‘show up’ for racial justice work

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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.

Carmelite Nuns of Compiegne: Saint of the Day for Friday, July 17, 2020

Sixteen Carmelites caught up in the French Revolution and martyred. When the revolution started in 1789, a group of twenty-one discalced Carmelites lived in a monastery in Compiegne France, founded in 1641. The monastery was ordered closed in 1790 by the Revolutionary gov­ernment, and the nuns were disbanded. Sixteen of the nuns were accused of living in a religious community in 1794. They were arrested on June 22 and imprisoned in a Visitation convent in Compiegne There they openly resumed …