O Jesus, Who has said, “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened,” through the intercession of Mary, Your Most Holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted.
(Make your request)
O Jesus, Who has said, “All that you ask of the Father in My Name, He will grant you,” through the intercession of Mary Your Most Holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask your Father in your name that my prayer will be granted.
(Make your request)
O …
There is an absolutely beautiful scene from the popular TV show, Chosen, that depicts a scene similar to this. A leper is thrown out of society and seen as unclean. Even the apostles are afraid to approach and try to stay away. You can see the desperation in his eyes for healing. You can see the tears well up as he is cast out and treated like swine. Jesus looks up with similar tears and approaches without fear. “Your faith has saved you.” And immediately the leper was healed and rejoiced in the goodness of God.
I think we can all relate to this story in one way or another. The reality is that we are all unclean. We have all eaten from the pig trough of the world and of sin. We have all fallen short of the glory of God. And yet, we have immense hope for healing. Jesus enters the story with the same tears that we shed. He enters our story, or hurt, our misery, our wounds, our sin. He enters into the mess to help us, like a good shepherd would.
Today is a very special day for my wife, Nathalie, and I. On December 4th we had our very first date. We went to a coffee shop and ordered blueberry tea. We sat there and talked for hours and got to know each other. As I reflect on the last few years of marriage and of dating, I can’t help but relate this Gospel to our life. Many people don’t talk about the Sacrament of Marriage as being different from marriage in general. The difference, of course, is the grace you receive from Christ to live out your vows in good times and in bad.
Sometimes life throws you some curveballs. This year has been a crazy one for us, as it has for most. Moving, our dog got a broken leg, getting Covid and being quarantined, having a tree fall on our house, getting my tonsils removed, and much more. But yet, through it all, we can feel the grace of the sacrament working through us every day. Working through us to continually cleanse us and help us grow closer together. This is the power of any sacrament. They take us from our unclean and broken selves and infuse us with the grace of God which helps us to accomplish all things.
The sacramental life is so important. During this time it is much more difficult to attend the sacraments on a regular basis. For those who cannot get out and receive the sacraments yet, I offer a spiritual communion at the end of this post. This prayer asks for the grace of Christ to come upon us even though we cannot physically attend the sacrament. For those of us who are able to safely get out and go, I implore you to find new ways during this Advent season to receive the grace of the sacraments. We all need grace. God offers it freely. Let’s go soak it up. Happy Advent and from all of us here at Rodzinka Ministry, God Bless!
My Jesus,
I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally,
come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there
and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
Tommy Shultz is the Founder/Director of Rodzinka Ministry and the Director of Faith Formation for the North Allegan Catholic Collaborative. In these roles, he is committed to bringing all those he meets into a deeper relationship with Christ. Tommy has a heart and 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. With a degree in Theology from Franciscan University, Tommy hopes to use his knowledge to help all people understand the beauty of The Faith. Contact Tommy at tommy@rodzinkaministry.com or check out his website at rodzinkaministry.com.
Feature Image Credit: Moisés Becerra, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/9881-franciscanos
Saint John Damascene has the double honor of being the last but one of the fathers of the Eastern Church, and the greatest of her poets. It is surprising, however, how little that is authentic is known of his life. The account of him by John of Jerusalem, written some two hundred years after his death, contains an admixture of legendary matter, and it is not easy to say where truth ends and fiction begins.
The ancestors of John, according to his biographer, when Damascus fell into the …
Blessed are You, loving Father,
For all your gifts to us.
Blessed are You for giving us family and friends
To be with us in times of joy and sorrow,
To help us in days of need,
And to rejoice with us in moments of celebration..
Father,
We praise You for Your Son Jesus,
Who knew the happiness of family and friends,
And in the love of Your Holy Spirit.
Blessed are you for ever and ever.
Amen.
Today’s readings are all about foundations. A simple matter, really. Foundations are often overlooked in the everyday world. But that does not make them any less important.
In the First Reading we hear about nations who have a strong foundation and those that do not. “A strong city have we; He sets up walls and ramparts to protect us. Open up the gates to let in a nation that is just, one that keeps faith. A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; in peace, for its trust in you”.
This nation is strong, safe, and peaceful because of its trust in the Lord.
On the flip side, “He humbles those in high places, and the lofty city he brings down; he tumbles it to the ground, levels it with the dust. It is trampled underfoot by the needy, by the footsteps of the poor.”
This nation, however, was disintegrated because of the lack of trust. It rose higher and higher with the false belief that it was strong, that it did not need him. Only buildings with weak foundations fall. It’s no wonder that the Lord was able to crush it to dust! We are like the two nations, either with the strong foundation or without. We need a strong foundation, and that comes from trusting in the Lord.
Besides not wanting to crumble into dust, why should we trust in the Lord? The Lord will build us a strong foundation. “For the LORD is an eternal Rock.” We need a solid foundation, and we are given one! Rock! Solid, strong, lovely rock. Our Rock – the sturdy building material that we need – is the Lord.
In the Gospel Jesus brings up construction once more. He tells us the story of a wise man and a foolish man who built their houses differently. The wise man built his on rock, and the foolish man built his on sand. The storm came, and the wise man’s house was perfect, no damage, no nothing. The foolish man’s house however, came crashing down due to a weak foundation. I can only imagine that he was caught under it, trying to shelter from the storm when it did.
The difference between the two men’s houses was their foundation. The one with a sturdy foundation of Rock survived, and the one with a weak foundation did not. The same thing happens in our lives. We need to build up our houses, our spiritual foundations to be strong. We must root them in rock, the eternal rock, the Lord, if we want to weather the storm. If we build on false beliefs and false foundations, when the storm comes the house will collapse.
So, are you built upon rock, or in the sand? Are you ready for the winds that will buffet and blow your house? Are you ready for the unexpected tests and trials that life is going to throw your way? We need a strong sturdy foundation. That foundation can only be found in the eternal rock, the Lord. It’s time to get building.
Perpetua Phelps is a high school student residing in West Michigan and is the second of four children. Apart from homeschooling, Perpetua enjoys volunteering at her church, attending retreats, studying Latin and French, and reading classics such as Beowulf, The Lord of the Rings, C.S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, and Mark Twain’s Joan of Arc. She also spends much time writing novels, essays, and poetry for fun and competition. A passionate Tolkien fan, Perpetua is a founding member of a Tolkien podcast.
Feature Image Credit: IA SB, https://unsplash.com/photos/_MMdxl-jUHo
St. Francis Xavier was a Navarrese-Basque Roman Catholic missionary born in the Kingdom of Navarre on April 7, 1506. His father was a privy counselor and finance minister to King John III of Navarre. He was the youngest in his family and resided in a castle which still partially stands today and is in the possession of the Jesuit order.
As the young Francis grew, he was surrounded by war. Navarre was the target of a campaign by King Ferdinand of Aragon and Castile, and the kingdom was …
Govern by all Thy Wisdom, O Lord,
so that my soul may always be serving Thee as Thou dost Will, and not as I may choose.
Do not punish me, I beseech Thee,
by granting that which I wish
or ask if it offended Thy Love,
which would always live in me.
Let me die to myself,
so that I may love Thee.
Let me live to Thee,
Who art in Thyself,
the True Life.
Dear St. Therese,
guide me in your Little Way,
so that I may ascend to the heights and happiness of Heaven.
In my lifetime, there’s never been a year like this year, a year where nearly every single person on the entire planet can say it has been a rough year. Between the pandemic, natural disasters, social unrest, economic hardship, and on and on, everyone has faced some kind of struggle this year. Our readings today are just the kind of hopeful reminder we need in such times.
As the Psalm says, the Lord is our shepherd. Like sheep, we may not understand where he is leading us, but we know we are in his care.
Like those listening to Jesus in today’s gospel, God will provide us what we need if we stay with Him. Sometimes, though, His aid may not come at the time we would like, or in the manner we expect. We may have to wrestle with literal or figurative hunger for a time.
As our first reading reminds us, this life is not our permanent state. We must remember the eternal banquet to come. On that heavenly mountain, God will save us from our physical afflictions, like hunger and thirst. He will resolve our interpersonal conflicts, taking away what divides us. He will heal our emotional wounds, wiping away our tears. Our sins and mistakes, He will wash away.
So, my prayer for all of us today is this: Lord, help us to trust in You, to remember You are guiding us even when we cannot see or understand how. Help us to remember this life is only our temporary home, and to keep our eyes fixed on You and our eternal home. Amen.
J.M. Pallas has had a lifelong love of Scriptures. When she is not busy with her vocation as a wife and mother to her “1 Samuel 1” son, or her vocation as a public health educator, you may find her at her parish women’s bible study, affectionately known as “The Bible Chicks.”
Feature Image Credit: Dimitri Conejo Sanz, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/174-pastor-sus-ovejas
St. Bibiana, Virgin and Martyr (Feast day – December 2nd) Other than the name, nothing is known for certain about this saint. However, we have the following account from a later tradition. In the year 363, Julian the Apostate made Apronianus Governor of Rome. St. Bibiana suffered in the persecution started by him. She was the daughter of Christians, Flavian, a Roman knight, and Dafrosa, his wife. Flavian was tortured and sent into exile, where he died of his wounds. Dafrosa was beheaded, …
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary,
R. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, etc…
V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
R. Be it done unto me according to Your Word.
Hail Mary, etc…
V. And the Word was made flesh,
R. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, etc…
V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech You, O …