All praise to You, Lord Jesus,
Lover of children:
Bless our family,
And help us to lead our children to You.
Give us light and strength,
And courage when our task is difficult.
Let Your Spirit fill us with love and peace,
So that we may help our children to love You.
All glory and praise are Yours, Lord Jesus,
For ever and ever.
Amen.
“Let everything, mundane things and those above, join in festive celebration. Today this created world is raised to the dignity of a holy place for him who made all things. The creature is newly prepared to be a divine dwelling place for the Creator.” -St. Andrew of Crete
Today we celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mary’s birthday! Although the Bible does not tell us anything about Mary’s birth, Tradition names today as the day we celebrate her birth. As St. Andrew of Crete says, it is a day which deserves to be widely and greatly celebrated! It is because of the birth of Mary and because of her “yes” to the will of God that Christ became man. St. Andrew calls Mary’s womb a “…divine dwelling place for the Creator”. I often think of how wonderful Mary’s parents must have been to raise a child who so willingly and unquestioningly said “yes” to God’s will. Her childhood home must have been filled with love, grace, and faith. Her parents, Tradition gives us the names Joachim and Anne, fulfilled their role as parents in teaching her the faith.
In today’s Gospel we hear both the genealogy of Christ and the story of the angel appearing to Joseph to tell him the Good News that Mary was carrying the Son of God, “Emmanuel” in her womb. The genealogy, while sometimes difficult or even boring to read, is important because it shows how Christ is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of a Savior. He is the One for whom Israel had been waiting. Because of Mary’s “yes” to the plan of God, God is truly with us in the person of Jesus Christ. Today, I am especially grateful for Mary’s “yes” to motherhood and Joseph’s “yes” to fatherhood for it is through this Holy Family that we are able to share life with Christ.
May we, in imitation of our Holy Mother Mary, say “yes” to Christ in every moment of our lives. May our lives be a reflection of His so that those around us may come to know Him through us.
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.
Feature Image Credit: Daniela, https://www.cathopic.com/photo/18361-ella-es-mi-hermosa-madre
According to legend Adrian was a pagan officer at the imperial court of Nicomedia. Impressed by the courage of a group of Christians who were being tortured, he declared himself a Christian and was imprisoned with them and suffered excruciating tortures before he was put to death. His young wife, Natalia, who was present at his death, comforted him in his agony, recovered one of his severed hands, and took it to Argyropolis near Constantinople, where she fled to escape the importunities of an …
Dear St. Ann,
You were truly twice blessed
To have our blessed Mother
As your daughter
And Jesus our Savior
As your grandson.
I know that every period
Of our lives
Has its responsibilities
As well as its joys.
Today, it seems
That grandparents
Have either too little
Use or too much;
Either we are shunted aside
To do nothing,
Or we are called upon
To do everything.
Help me to know
Just where my duties lie
In my particular situation
And to carry them out as …
When most of us are trying to make a decision, we focus on which option will bring us the most satisfaction. Will this make my life easier, help me feel better about myself, fit into my schedule, etc. Do I want this, or that?
In today’s Gospel, we see how Jesus makes decisions: he spends the night in prayer so that he can learn what the FATHER wants. Before choosing the Twelve Apostles (those who are sent) from among the disciples (those who are followers), he consults with the Father, to know what HIS will is, to conform his own will to the eternal, perfect, holy will of the Father. This gives us an insight into the interior of Jesus’ own Heart, and into his total communion with the Father: Jesus always desires to glorify the Father by obeying His will in all things, even unto death. Even as Jesus struggles in Gethsemane, he prays, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”
This is the model we are called to conform ourselves to in becoming disciples of Jesus, isn’t it? We don’t conform ourselves in a superficial way, but we conform our hearts to HIS Heart, our wills to HIS will, and we become configured to HIS way of life so that, filled with HIM, the Father looks on us and says the same thing He said at the Jordan and at Tabor: “This is My beloved son.” We are His beloved sons and daughters who are called by name to participate in His awesome Plan for our salvation and the salvation of others, and to be with Him beyond the grave.
Tomorrow we celebrate the birthday of Mary, Mother of God and our Mother. Mary is the perfect model for us of complete obedience and a ready “yes” to whatever God asks. She meant her “yes” at the Annunciation all the way to the Cross and beyond, with all that God’s will demanded. Let’s ask Mary to intercede for us before the Throne of Grace, that we may also conform ourselves through obedience to the Will of God, just as Mary’s Heart and Jesus’ Heart beat with that one desire.
Kathryn Mulderink, MA, is married to Robert, Station Manager for Holy Family Radio. Together they have seven children (including Father Rob), and four grandchildren. She is President of the local community of Secular Discalced Carmelites and has published five books and many articles. Over the last 30 years, she has worked as a teacher, headmistress, catechist, Pastoral Associate, and DRE, and as a writer and voice talent for Catholic Radio. Currently, she serves the Church by writing and speaking, and by collaborating with various parishes and to lead others to encounter Christ and engage their faith. Her website is www.KathrynTherese.com
Feature Image Credit: cottonbro, https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-person-s-hand-with-words-4631066/
On the death of Clovis, King of the Franks, in the year 511 his kingdom was divided between his four sons, of whom the second was Clodomir. Thirteen years later he was killed fighting against his cousin, Gondomar, leaving three sons to share his dominions. The youngest of these sons of Clodomir was St. Clodoald, a name more familiar to English people under its French form of Cloud from the town of Saint-Cloud near Versailles. When Cloud was eight years old, his uncle Childebert plotted with his …
Behold me, my beloved Jesus,
weighed down under the burden of my trials and sufferings,
I cast myself at Your feet,
that You may renew my strength and my courage,
while I rest here in Your Presence.
Permit me to lay down my cross in Your Sacred Heart,
for only Your infinite goodness can sustain me;
only Your love can help me bear my cross;
only Your powerful hand can lighten its weight.
O Divine King, Jesus,
whose heart is so compassionate to the afflicted,
I wish to live …
The First Reading today seems to make the bold claim that somehow the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus was not enough for the sins of mankind. Of course, this is not what St. Paul is claiming, but it is very important to unpack this verse and see what he is trying to proclaim.
Is Jesus’ suffering somehow lacking for the sins of mankind? The answer is a bold no. What Christ did on the cross redeems us fully and completely. Nothing is lacking in the sacrifice of the cross when it comes to redeeming us and forgiving us of sin.
So what are we to make of the First Reading? The most common interpretation of this passage is that Paul is saying God uses us and our own suffering, to bring others into the saving power of his love. Think about it, if someone has rejected God, then it may be our witness, our prayers, our own suffering, that is the nudge that may bring them back into communion with God.
This is what St. Paul is proclaiming here, not that Jesus’ sacrifice is incomplete, but that the external and practical way that salvation works sometimes takes an extra push. We can be that extra nudge or push for those who are near and dear to us. Now the question is, do we do this or are we afraid?
When I was working at a parish collaborative in Michigan I once gave a talk on Catholicism and afterwards one of the parents came up to me. They said they had raised their kids Catholic but that their son no longer practiced the faith and most of their kids had fallen away over the years. They wanted to know the secret sauce to get their kids back into the Catholic faith. I simply asked when the last time was that they prayed together. The parents could not remember a time that they had ever prayed together. Now, this isn’t to shame the parents, but I think it is pretty common. Do we believe in the transformative power of prayer and fasting and are we doing these things for and with our loved ones who need the love of God. St. Paul makes it clear that if we can add anything to the already perfect suffering of Christ, it’s that we can help people to know that there is a God who loves them and wants to be in communion with them. Let’s pray for the grace to be bold, to pray, to fast, and to help others see the love of Christ. From all of us here at Rodzinka Ministry, God bless!
Tommy Shultz is the Founder/Director of Rodzinka Ministry and a content specialist for Ruah Woods, a Theology of the Body Ministry. 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.
Feature Image Credit: Frantisek Duris, https://unsplash.com/photos/sQ4aJOphZb4
A wonderful simplicity and spirit of compunction were the distinguishing virtues of this holy man. He was chosen abbot of St. Mark’s near Spoleto, and favored by God with the gift of miracles. A child who was possessed by the devil, being delivered by being educated in his monastery, the Abbot said one day: “Since the child is among the servants of God, the devil dares not approach him.” These words seemed to savor of vanity, and thereupon the devil again entered and tormented the …
Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth
where love, peace and joy reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
intensely eucharistic,
revived with joy.
Help us to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families,
especially in their distressing disguise.
May the eucharistic heart of Jesus
make our hearts humble …