St. Giles, Abbot: Saint of the Day for Thursday, September 01, 2022

St. Giles, Abbot (Patron of Physically Disabled) Feast day – September 1 St. Giles is said to have been a seventh century Athenian of noble birth. His piety and learning made him so conspicuous and an object of such admiration in his own country that, dreading praise and longing for a hidden life, he left his home and sailed for France. At first he took up his abode in a wilderness near the mouth of the Rhone river, afterward near the river Gard, and, finally, in the diocese of Nimes. He …

Three O’ Clock Prayer to the Divine Mercy: Prayer of the Day for Thursday, September 01, 2022

You expired, O Jesus,
but the source of life gushed forth for souls
and an ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life,
unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world
and empty Yourself out upon us.
O Blood and Water,
which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus
as a fount of mercy for us,
I trust in You.

Amen.

Need Renewal? Find Your “Deserted Place” Today / ¿Buscas Renovarte? Encuentra Hoy Tu “Lugar Desierto”

At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.

In today’s Gospel reading, we enter into just one of Jesus’ “days.” He had been teaching and healing non-stop for 24 hours at least. After he had left the synagogue [before today’s reading picks up], he went to Peter’s house, where he was asked to heal Peter’s mother-in-law who lay in bed with a severe fever. Jesus rebuked the fever and she immediately got up “and waited on them.” I imagine that meant cooking dinner, giving Jesus a bit of refreshment near the end of a busy day. 

However, at sunset the house began to crowd with endless people pleading throughout the night for healing and hope. And now at daybreak, “Jesus left and went to a deserted place.” These are the words that are used in the Gospel of Luke to introduce the hours of solitude in which Jesus would be alone with his Father in prayer. These words are never used to indicate that Jesus was taking a break. He didn’t leave to escape the noise and demands of the crowds who needed him, but to reconnect with the Source of his Life, the Fire of Love that burned within him, his purpose, his desire. His great need was to stay in communion with the Father, and it was from this communion that he gained the strength and energy to give, to serve, to love, and eventually to lay down his life.

Saint John Paul II seemed to get his cue from Jesus himself. He received his drive, and his purpose, from prayer. The Pope’s schedule, according to Andreas Widmer, author of the book The Pope & the CEO: John Paul II’s Leadership Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard, ran something like this: The Pope rose before 6:00 and prayed in his private chapel before visitors joined him for Mass at 7:00. After Mass and an hour or two in the office, he would greet official visitors at 11:00, and then give his general audiences which were followed by lunch where he was joined by various Vatican staff. His lunches were the opportunity for him to be brought up to speed on what was happening in the various offices of the Vatican. Often he invited guests specifically to engage in a vigorous discussion on various theological or philosophical issues that concerned the life of the Church. After lunch, the Pope headed for the rooftop gardens of the Papal Palace to walk and talk with God. After this time of quiet prayer and rest, there were several hours of office work and more audiences until dinner at 8:00 where guests dined with him once more. After dinner he returned to reading and writing and praying well into the night, only turning out his lights at midnight or even later. We can imagine that this was a leisurely schedule compared to his schedule while traveling.

Widmer recalls that when John Paul II returned after being weeks on the road he didn’t head straight for his own apartment and collapse for a few days in exhaustion. As he arrived at the Vatican, he would stop and greet all the staff who had gathered to welcome him home and inspect the Swiss Guard lined up in honor formation, talking to each one and shaking their hands.

Widmer, who was a twenty-year-old Swiss Guard at the time and who was, like his fellow guards, in peak physical condition, describes how the young Swiss Guards were unable to keep up with the energy level of Saint John Paul II. He shared in his book how he tried to remember even once when he saw that schedule taking a toll on the pope. He couldn’t remember John Paul II ever exhausted, bleary-eyed, burnt out, irritated. The Swiss Guards who traveled with him on those trips were 40, 50, 60 years his junior, yet they returned home exhausted. The Pope instead was filled with energy and ready to pour himself out for others.

Just like Jesus, just like Saint John Paul II, each of us has a mission in life. Each of us have demands, are busy, have an overcrowded schedule. Each of us must deal with the rapid force of endless change and the fear of the uncertainty of what is right around the corner, the endless unknowns that could upset our life. Each of us is called in our vocation to pour ourselves out in response to whatever God asks of us.

Take your cue from Jesus today. Find your “deserted place” to recharge, regroup, renew. You may be able to stay there for moments, or it may be hours. You may find your deserted place in the car on a long commute or at night when the house has grown silent and all your family members are sleeping. Wherever it is and for whatever length of time you are able to be there, cherish your “deserted place” to commune with your God who will renew your energy, return your joy, and recharge your purpose in life.

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Al día siguiente se fue a un lugar solitario.

En la lectura del Evangelio de hoy, entramos en solo uno de los “días” de Jesús. Había estado enseñando y sanando sin parar durante al menos 24 horas. Después de haber salido de la sinagoga [antes de que comience la lectura de hoy], fue a la casa de Pedro, donde se le pidió que curara a su suegra, que estaba en cama con mucha fiebre. Jesús reprendió la fiebre y ella inmediatamente se levantó “y se puso a servirles”. Me imagino que eso significaba preparar la cena, darle a Jesús un poco de refrigerio cerca del final de un día ajetreado.

Sin embargo, al atardecer la casa comenzó a llenarse con un sinfín de personas suplicando durante toda la noche por sanidad y esperanza. Y ahora, al amanecer, “Jesús partió y se fue a un lugar desierto”. Estas son las palabras que se utilizan en el Evangelio de Lucas para introducir las horas de soledad en las que Jesús estaría a solas con su Padre en oración. Estas palabras nunca se usan para indicar que Jesús estaba tomando un descanso. No partió para escapar del ruido y las demandas de las multitudes que lo necesitaban, sino para reconectarse con la Fuente de su Vida, el Fuego del Amor que ardía dentro de él, su propósito, su deseo. Su gran necesidad era permanecer en comunión con el Padre, y de esta comunión obtuvo la fuerza y ​​la energía para dar, servir, amar y, finalmente, dar su vida.

San Juan Pablo II pareció entender el ejemplo del mismo Jesús. Recibió su impulso y su propósito de la oración. El horario del Papa, según Andreas Widmer, autor del libro The Pope & the CEO: John Paul II’s Leadership Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard, (El Papa y el CEO: Lecciones de Liderazgo de Juan Pablo II) para una joven Guardia Suizaera más o menos así: el Papa se levantaba antes de las 6:00 y rezaba en su capilla privada ante los visitantes, se unió a él para la Misa a las 7:00. Después de la Misa y una hora o dos en la oficina, saludaba a los visitantes oficiales a las 11:00 y luego daba sus audiencias generales seguidas de un almuerzo donde se le unían varios miembros del personal del Vaticano. Sus almuerzos fueron la oportunidad para que él se pusiera al día sobre lo que estaba sucediendo en las distintas oficinas del Vaticano. A menudo invitaba a los invitados específicamente a participar en una discusión vigorosa sobre varios temas teológicos o filosóficos que se relacionaban con la vida de la Iglesia. Después del almuerzo, el Papa se dirigió a los jardines de la azotea del Palacio Papal para caminar y hablar con Dios. Después de este tiempo de oración tranquila y descanso, hubo varias horas de trabajo de oficina y más audiencias hasta la cena a las 8:00 donde los invitados cenaron con él una vez más. Después de la cena, volvió a leer, escribir y orar hasta bien noche, y solo apagaba las luces a medianoche o incluso más tarde. Podemos imaginar que este era un horario pausado en comparación con su horario mientras viajaba.

Widmer recuerda que cuando Juan Pablo II regresaba después de estar de viaje por unas semanas, no se dirigía directamente a su propio apartamento a derrumbarse durante unos días por el agotamiento. Cuando llegaba al Vaticano, se detenía y saludaba a todo el personal que se había reunido para darle la bienvenida a casa e inspeccionaba a la Guardia Suiza en formación de honor, hablando con cada uno y dándoles la mano.

Widmer, que en ese momento era un guardia suizo de veinte años y que, al igual que sus compañeros de guardia, estaba en óptimas condiciones físicas, describe cómo los jóvenes guardias suizos no pudieron mantenerse al día con el nivel de energía de San Juan Pablo II. Compartió en su libro cómo trató de recordar incluso una vez cuando vio que ese horario le estaba afectaba al Papa. No podía recordar a Juan Pablo II alguna vez exhausto, con ojos llorosos, quemado, irritado. Los guardias suizos que viajaron con él en esos viajes eran 40, 50, 60 años menores que él, pero regresaron a casa exhaustos. El Papa, en cambio, estaba lleno de energía y dispuesto a entregarse por los demás.

Como Jesús, como San Juan Pablo II, cada uno de nosotros tiene una misión en la vida. Cada uno de nosotros tiene demandas, está ocupado, tiene un horario abarrotado. Cada uno de nosotros debe lidiar con la fuerza rápida del cambio sin fin y el miedo a la incertidumbre de lo que está a la vuelta de la esquina, las incógnitas infinitas que podrían trastornar nuestra vida. Cada uno de nosotros está llamado en nuestra vocación a entregarse en respuesta a lo que Dios nos pide.

Siga el ejemplo de Jesús hoy. Encuentra tu “lugar desierto” para recargar, reagrupar, renovar. Es posible que pueda permanecer allí por momentos, o pueden ser horas. Puede encontrar su lugar desierto en el automóvil en un viaje largo o por la noche cuando la casa se ha vuelto silenciosa y todos los miembros de su familia están durmiendo. Dondequiera que sea y durante el tiempo que puedas estar allí, atesora tu “lugar desierto” para comunicarte con tu Dios, quien renovará tu energía, te devolverá la alegría y recargará tu propósito en la vida.

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Sr. Kathryn J. HermesKathryn James Hermes, FSP, is the author of the newly released title: Reclaim Regret: How God Heals Life’s Disappointments, by Pauline Books and Media. An author and spiritual mentor, she offers spiritual accompaniment for the contemporary Christian’s journey towards spiritual growth and inner healing. She is the director of My Sisters, where people can find spiritual accompaniment from the Daughters of St. Paul on their journey. Website: www.touchingthesunrise.com Public Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/srkathrynhermes/ For monthly spiritual journaling guides, weekly podcasts and over 50 conferences and retreat programs join my Patreon community: https://www.patreon.com/srkathryn.

Feature Image Credit: Josef August Untersberger, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_on_the_Mount_of_Olives_by_Giovanni.jpg

St. Raymond Nonnatus: Saint of the Day for Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Raymond was born at Portella, Catalonia, Spain. He was delivered by caesarean operation when his mother died in childbirth. Hence his name non natus (not born). He joined the Mercedarians under St. Peter Nolasco at Barcelona. He succeeded Peter as chief ransomer and went to Algeria to ransom slaves. He remained as hostage for several slaves when his money ran out and was sentenced to be impaled when the governor learned that he had converted several Mohammedans. He escaped the death sentence …

Prayer of Spouses for Each Other: Prayer of the Day for Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Lord Jesus, grant that I and my spouse may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May we always bear with one another’s weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths. Help us to forgive one another’s failings and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of placing the well-being of one another ahead of self.

May the love that brought us …

Christ Commands Obedience / Jesucristo Exije la Obediencia

In today’s Gospel, Luke retells the story of Jesus driving a demon out of a man. Before the demon lets go and leaves the man, he says to Christ, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus commands him to be quiet and to come out. The demon then leaves the man, and all of the onlookers are amazed that Christ could make the demon obey. 

The scene must have been both scary and amazing. Imagine witnessing a demon do as Christ commands. God’s words are so powerful that even a demon had to obey.

As we think about this obedience, let us reflect upon our own lives. Do we obey God? Do we do as He commands? Or do we prefer the commands of the world or our own desires to God’s?

It is extremely easy to get wrapped up in a life that takes us far from God’s words. We allow the false idols of society to take His place and to overshadow His voice. We allow vices to prevail. We permit things to interfere with the time we should be spending in God’s house or listening to His words. These are our demons. These are the things that make it so that we cannot even hear God’s voice.

But God persists. He wants us to be free of our demons just as He wanted the actual demon to leave the man. He keeps calling. He keeps commanding. 

And why does He do this?

He does this because He loves us. We belong to Him. Just as the demon possessed the man and rendered him unable to live a holy life, our demons possess us. Our demons create a rift between us and God. They keep us from growing closer to Him. 

But we can make changes in our lives that will lead us to God instead of away from Him.

How do we do that? We begin with prayer and confession. We prayerfully examine our lives, our actions, and all of the things that interfere with our relationship with God. And then we tell God that we are sorry for our sins. We go to confession and apologize. We thank Him for the grace to pick ourselves up again. We promise obedience. 

We do this because we know, just as the demon knew, that Christ is “the Holy One of God.”

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En el Evangelio de hoy, Lucas vuelve a contar la historia de Jesús expulsando a un demonio de un hombre. Antes de que el demonio suelte y abandone al hombre, le dice a Cristo: “Sé que tú eres el Santo de Dios”. Jesús le ordena que se calle y que salga. El demonio luego deja al hombre, y todos los espectadores se asombran de que Cristo pudiera hacer que el demonio obedezca.

La escena debe haber sido tanto aterradora como asombrosa. Imagínese ver a un demonio hacer lo que Cristo ordena. Las palabras de Dios son tan poderosas que incluso un demonio tuvo que obedecer.

Mientras pensamos en esta obediencia, reflexionemos sobre nuestras propias vidas. ¿Obedecemos a Dios? ¿Hacemos lo que Él manda? ¿O preferimos los mandatos del mundo o nuestros propios deseos a los de Dios?

Es extremadamente fácil quedar envuelto en una vida que nos aleja de las palabras de Dios. Permitimos que los falsos ídolos de la sociedad tomen Su lugar y eclipsen Su voz. Permitimos que los vicios prevalezcan. Permitimos que las cosas interfieran con el tiempo que deberíamos pasar en la casa de Dios o escuchando Sus palabras. Estos son nuestros demonios. Estas son las cosas que hacen que ni siquiera podamos escuchar la voz de Dios.

Pero Dios persiste. Él quiere que seamos libres de nuestros demonios tal como Él quería que el demonio real dejara al hombre. Él sigue llamando. Él sigue al mando.

¿Y por qué hace esto?

Él hace esto porque nos ama. Pertenecemos a Él. Así como el demonio poseyó al hombre y lo hizo incapaz de vivir una vida santa, nuestros demonios nos poseen. Nuestros demonios crean una brecha entre nosotros y Dios. Nos impiden acercarnos más a Él.
Pero podemos hacer cambios en nuestras vidas que nos lleven a Dios en lugar de alejarnos de Él.

¿Como hacemos eso? Comenzamos con la oración y la confesión. En oración examinamos nuestras vidas, nuestras acciones y todas las cosas que interfieren con nuestra relación con Dios. Y luego le decimos a Dios que nos arrepentimos de nuestros pecados. Vamos a confesarnos y disculparnos. Le damos gracias por la gracia de levantarnos de nuevo. Prometemos obediencia.

Hacemos esto porque sabemos, tal como lo sabía el demonio, que Cristo es “el Santo de Dios”.

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Susan Ciancio has a BA in psychology and a BA in sociology from the University of Notre Dame, with an MA in liberal studies from Indiana University. For the past 19 years, she has worked as a professional editor and writer, editing both fiction and nonfiction books, magazine articles, blogs, educational lessons, professional materials and website content. Thirteen of those years have been in the pro-life sector. Currently Susan freelances and writes weekly for HLI, edits for American Life League, and is the executive editor of Celebrate Life Magazine. She also serves as executive editor for the Culture of Life Studies Program—an educational nonprofit program for K-12 students. You can reach her at slochner0.wixsite.com/website.

Feature Image Credit: Angie Menes, www.cathopic.com/photo/20657-yo-te-absuelvo-tus-pecados

St. Rumon: Saint of the Day for Tuesday, August 30, 2022

St. Rumon, also known as Ruan, Ronan, and Ruadan, was probably a brother of Bishop St. Tudwal of Trequier, but nothing else is known of him beyond that he was probably an Irish missionary and many churches in Devon and Cornwall in England were named after him. Some authorities believed he is the same as the St. Ronan (June 1) venerated in Brittany and believed consecrated bishop by St. Patrick, but others believe that he and St. Kea were British monks who founded a monastery at Street Somerset. …

God Writes Straight With Crooked Lines / Dios Escribe Recto con Líneas Chuecas

God has a way of writing straight with crooked lines. 25 years ago today I made promises to God as a consecrated lay woman. I had been raised in a conservative Catholic home and thought that this was my calling. I longed to live a saintly life and to love God. Yet, after struggling for three and a half years I knew something just wasn’t right and I discerned it wasn’t my calling. I lived the single life for 11 years after coming home and this year my husband and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with 5 kids in tow. 

In the back of my mind on that day two and a half decades ago, I wondered if it was a bad omen (not that I really believed in omens) being consecrated on a day a saint got his head chopped off.  But in the end, it truly came to pass that God had other plans for my life. 

The Gospel passage does not focus on John the Baptist, rather on Herod’s imprudent reward, Herodias’ evil request and Herod’s subsequent internal conflict. 

What must John have been thinking in those final moments when they approached him with an ax telling him he was going to die? Was he filled with fear? Or was he happy to finally be able to meet God face to face after being a good and faithful servant?

He surely had a “crooked lines” kind of life. Being born to an old barren couple, being related to the Son of God, living out in the desert, eating locusts and wild honey, baptizing with water, preaching repentance, and being thrown in jail, only to die a martyr’s death. 

Perhaps your life appears similarly crazy, yet each one of us are called to follow Him, even unto death.  

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Dios tiene una manera de escribir recto con líneas chuecas. Hoy hace 25 años hice promesas a Dios como laica consagrada. Me crié en un hogar católico conservador y pensé que ese era mi llamado. Anhelaba vivir una vida santa y amar a Dios. Sin embargo, después de luchar durante tres años y medio, supe que algo no estaba bien y me di cuenta de que no era mi llamado. Después de volver a casa, viví la vida de soltera durante 11 años antes de casarme y este año mi esposo y yo celebramos nuestro décimo aniversario de bodas y tenemos 5 hijos.

En el fondo de mi mente ese día hace dos décadas y media, me preguntaba si era un mal presagio (no es que yo realmente creyera en los presagios) ser consagrado en un día en que a un santo le cortaron la cabeza. Pero al final, realmente sucedió que Dios tenía otros planes para mi vida.

El pasaje evangélico no se centra en Juan Bautista, sino en la imprudente recompensa de Herodes, la malvada petición de Herodías y el posterior conflicto interno de Herodes.

¿Qué habrá estado pensando Juan en esos momentos finales cuando se le acercaron con un hacha diciéndole que iba a morir? ¿Estaba lleno de miedo? ¿O estaba feliz de finalmente poder encontrarse con Dios cara a cara después de ser un servidor bueno y fiel?

Seguramente tenía un tipo de vida de “líneas chuecas”. Nacer de una pareja de ancianos estériles, estar relacionado con el Hijo de Dios, vivir en el desierto, comer langostas y miel silvestre, bautizar con agua, predicar el arrepentimiento y ser arrojado a la cárcel, solo para morir como mártir.

Tal vez tu vida parezca igualmente loca, pero cada uno de nosotros está llamado a seguir a Cristo, incluso hasta la muerte.

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Tami Urcia grew up in Western Michigan, a middle child in a large Catholic family. She spent early young adulthood as a missionary in Mexico, studying theology and philosophy, then worked and traveled extensively before finishing her Bachelor’s Degree in Western Kentucky. She loves tackling projects, finding fun ways to keep her little ones occupied, quiet conversation with the hubby and finding unique ways to love. She works at for Christian Healthcare Centers, is a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net, runs her own blog at https://togetherandalways.wordpress.com and has been doing Spanish translations on the side for over 20 years.

Feature Image Credit: Sam Poullain, unsplash.com/photos/TuAZPj1uaZs

St. Sabina: Saint of the Day for Monday, August 29, 2022

St. Sabina’s feast day is August 29th. We know St. Sabina only through legend, and there is some question as to it’s trustworthiness. Even the century in which she lived is unknown. Supposedly Sabina was converted to Christianity by her Syrian servant Serapia. During the persecution of Emperor Hadrian, Serapia suffered martyrdom for her Christian Faith. It is believed that St. Sabina was murdered for the Faith about a month later. The reknowned basilica on the Aventine in Rome is dedicated to …