Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament was born as Helena Kowalska, in Glogowiec, Leczyca County, north-west of LĂłdz in Poland on August 25, 1905. She was the third of 10 children to a poor and religious family.
Faustina first felt a calling to the religious life when she was just seven-years-old and attended the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. After finishing her schooling, Faustina wanted to immediately join a convent. However, her parents refused to let her.
Instead, …
Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, all honour and all blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong,
and no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.
Praised be You my Lord with all Your creatures,
especially Sir Brother Sun,
Who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour,
Of You Most High, he bears the likeness.
Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, …
The readings today mention three disciples of Christ: St.Paul, Mary and Martha. This is fitting as the Church celebrates St. Francis of Assisi. Each of these very different individuals had to find his or her own unique path to follow Jesus.
In the First Reading St. Paul briefly speaks about his early life as a Jew and his conversion to Christianity. Paul had no intention of becoming a follower of Christ Jesus. He was “a zealot for [his] ancestral traditions.” His conversion to the Way allowed him to proclaim and instruct the Gentiles throughout Arabia, Cilicia, Damascus, and Syria. St. Paul’s writings and witness continue to lead many to Christ.
St. Paul was an educated man. St. Francis was brought up in an educated, wealthy family. He led a carefree life, enjoyed friends, parties and had little to worry about. He wanted to be a knight. Francis was captured on his first campaign as a cavalry soldier, imprisoned, and became ill. He was held captive for a year and read about the lives of the saints.
When Francis returned home he was not the same person. His spirit was troubled. Things he used to enjoy just didn’t make him happy the way they used to. He took time to pray and heard Christ speak to rebuild His Church.
St. Francis did not have an easy life once he chose to follow his Heavenly Father. He made mistakes, faced many challenges and accomplished much in his own ‘little’ journey to learn Jesus’ Way. He made changes in how he dealt with life events. He prayed and fasted while in service to others. Francis went about his life by doing what God gave him to do; to live the Gospel moment by moment, day by day.
In the Gospel, Martha wanted Jesus to direct Mary to assist with the serving. Jesus did not do so, telling her that Mary had chosen the better part. He told Martha she was anxious and worried about many things.
I have been told by my spiritual director, a priest and a deacon and a few others as well, that I too, have been worried and anxious about things I cannot control, or situations that I have chosen for myself. I need to remember to go through my day one moment at a time, without making assumptions or worrying about the outcome of any situation.
Francis prayed this prayer frequently before the Crucifix where he heard God speak during his early discernment and ministry. I find much comfort in it; please pray with me.
“Most high and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of my heart and give me, Lord, a correct faith, a certain hope, a perfect charity, sense and knowledge, so that I may carry out Your holy and true command.” Amen.
Las lecturas de hoy mencionan a tres discípulos de Cristo: San Pablo, María y Marta. Que apropiado ya que la Iglesia celebra hoy a San Francisco de Asís. Cada uno de estos individuos tan diferentes tuvo que encontrar su propio camino único para seguir a Jesús.
En la Primera Lectura, San Pablo habla brevemente sobre su vida de joven como judío y su conversión al cristianismo. Pablo no tenía intención de convertirse en un seguidor de Cristo Jesús. Era “un fanático de [sus] tradiciones ancestrales”. Su conversión al Camino le permitió proclamar e instruir a los gentiles por toda Arabia, Cilicia, Damasco y Siria. Los escritos y el testimonio de San Pablo continúan guiando a muchos a Cristo.
San Pablo era un hombre educado. San Francisco se crió en una familia rica y educada. Llevaba una vida sin preocupaciones, disfrutaba de amigos, fiestas y tenía poco de qué preocuparse. Quería ser caballero. Francisco fue capturado en su primera campaña como soldado de caballería, fue encarcelado y se enfermó. Estuvo cautivo durante un año y leía sobre la vida de los santos.
Cuando Francis volvió a casa no era la misma persona. Su espíritu estaba turbado. Las cosas que antes disfrutaba simplemente no lo hacían feliz como solían hacerlo. Tomó tiempo para orar y escuchó a Cristo pedirle reconstruir Su Iglesia.
San Francisco no tuvo una vida fácil una vez que eligió seguir a su Padre Celestial. Cometió errores, enfrentó muchos desafíos y logró mucho en su propio “pequeño” viaje para aprender el Camino de Jesús. Hizo cambios en la forma en que lidió con los eventos de la vida. Oraba y ayunaba mientras estaba al servicio de los demás. Francisco vivió su vida haciendo lo que Dios le pidió hacer; vivir el Evangelio momento a momento, día tras día.
En el Evangelio, Marta quería que Jesús dirigiera a María a ayudar con el servicio. Jesús no lo hizo, diciéndole que María había escogido la mejor parte. Le dijo a Martha que estaba ansiosa y preocupada por muchas cosas.
Me ha dicho mi director espiritual, un sacerdote y un diácono y algunos otros también, que yo también he estado preocupada y ansiosa por cosas que no puedo controlar, o situaciones que he escogido. Necesito acordarme de pasar mi día un momento a la vez, sin hacer suposiciones ni preocuparme por el resultado de ninguna situación.
Francisco oraba esta oración con frecuencia ante el Crucifijo donde escuchaba a Dios hablarle durante su discernimiento y ministerio. En ella encuentro mucho consuelo; les invito a rezarla conmigo.
“Dios altísimo y glorioso, ilumina las tinieblas de mi corazón y dame, Señor, una fe recta, una esperanza cierta, una caridad perfecta, sentido y conocimiento, para que pueda cumplir Tu santo y verdadero mandato.” Amén.
Beth Price is part of the customer care team at Diocesan. She is a Secular Franciscan (OFS) and a practicing spiritual director. Beth shares smiles, prayers, laughter, a listening ear and her heart with all of creation. Reach her here bprice@diocesan.com.
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Founder of the Franciscan Order, born at Assisi in Umbria, in 1181.
In 1182, Pietro Bernardone returned from a trip to France to find out his wife had given birth to a son. Far from being excited or apologetic because he’d been gone, Pietro was furious because she’d had his new son baptized Giovanni after John the Baptist. The last thing Pietro wanted in his son was a man of God — he wanted a man of business, a cloth merchant like he was, and he especially wanted a son who would reflect his …
Most High, Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our minds.
Give us a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity,
so that we may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen.
Have you ever broken a promise? Of course you have. I think if we all think about it and are honest with ourselves, we have all probably broken a promise we made at one point or another. You have probably seen the aftermath of what happened when that promise was broken; People got hurt, trust was shattered, relationships were affected. I know when I have broken a promise I immediately feel guilt. I think this guilt comes because we all know deep down in our bones that promises are not meant to be broken.
This brings us to our First Reading for today where we hear that the Galatians have been quick to forsake Paul and Christ for the sake of another gospel. They came to learn about Christ through Paul’s teachings and gave their hearts over to him, until another gospel popped up that seemed more alluring. Take a moment to think about this for a second. Jesus had recently died for their sins. There may have even been people present who were alive when it happened. They were there at the beginning of Christianity. They had been told about the promise of eternal life through this Jesus of Nazareth who died and actually rose from the dead. And then, a different gospel comes along and they are quick to dismiss what Jesus did for them.
It is probably easy to look at the Galatians and wonder how they could do all this, but this wasn’t a new phenomenon. Since the beginning of time God has been making promises with his people and we have been breaking those promises. But no matter what, God remains faithful. We call these promises covenants and there are many throughout the Old Testament, culminating in the New Covenant in Christ. Today in the Responsorial Psalm, we read that the Lord will remember his covenant forever and the Catechism tells us, “God chose Abraham and made a covenant with him and his descendants. By the covenant God formed his people and revealed his law to them through Moses. Through the prophets, he prepared them to accept the salvation destined for all humanity. God has revealed himself fully by sending his own Son, in whom he has established his covenant forever.” (CCC 72-73)
God remembers the covenant he made with Abraham. He remembers the covenant he made with Noah and with Moses. He remembers the covenant he made on the cross, the covenant he made for us. God is always faithful to his covenant. The question is, are we faithful to him? Let’s take some time today to thank God for what he did for us on the cross and ask for the grace to remain faithful to his covenant of love forever.
From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless!
¿Alguna vez has roto una promesa? Seguro que sí. Creo que si todos lo pensamos y somos honestos con nosotros mismos, probablemente todos hayamos roto una promesa que hicimos en un momento u otro. Probablemente hayas visto las consecuencias de lo que sucedió cuando se rompió esa promesa; las personas resultaron heridas, la confianza se rompió, las relaciones se vieron afectadas. Sé que cuando he roto una promesa me siento culpable inmediatamente. Creo que esta culpa viene porque todos sabemos en el fondo de nuestros huesos que las promesas no están hechas para romperse.
Esto nos lleva a nuestra primera lectura de hoy, donde escuchamos que los gálatas facilmente abandonar a Pablo y Cristo por otro evangelio. Llegaron a aprender acerca de Cristo a través de las enseñanzas de Pablo y le entregaron su corazón, hasta que apareció otro evangelio que parecía más atractivo. Tómese un momento para pensar en esto por un segundo. Jesús había muerto recientemente por sus pecados. Incluso puede haber personas presentes que estaban vivas cuando sucedió. Estaban allí al comienzo del cristianismo. Se les había dicho acerca de la promesa de la vida eterna a través de este Jesús de Nazaret que murió y resucitó de entre los muertos. Y luego, aparece un evangelio diferente y rápidamente descartan lo que Jesús hizo por ellos.
Probablemente sea fácil mirar a los gálatas y preguntarse cómo pudieron hacer todo esto, pero este no era un fenómeno nuevo. Desde el principio de los tiempos, Dios ha estado haciendo promesas con su pueblo y nosotros hemos estado rompiendo esas promesas. Pero pase lo que pase, Dios permanece fiel. A estas promesas las llamamos pactos y hay muchas a lo largo del Antiguo Testamento, que culminan en la Nueva Alianza en Cristo. Hoy en el Salmo Responsorial leemos que el Señor recordará para siempre su alianza y el Catecismo nos dice: “Dios eligió a Abraham y selló una alianza con él y su descendencia. Dios eligió a Abraham y selló una alianza con él y su descendencia. De él formó a su pueblo, al que reveló su ley por medio de Moisés. Lo preparó por los profetas para acoger la salvación destinada a toda la humanidad. Dios se ha revelado plenamente enviando a su propio Hijo, en quien ha establecido su alianza para siempre.” (CIC 72-73)
Dios recuerda la alianza que hizo con Abraham. Recuerda la alianza que hizo con Noé y con Moisés. Recuerda la alianza que hizo en la cruz, la alianza que hizo por nosotros. Dios es siempre fiel a su alianza . La pregunta es, ¿le somos fieles? Tomemos un tiempo hoy para agradecer a Dios por lo que hizo por nosotros en la cruz y pidamos la gracia de permanecer fieles a la alianza de amor para siempre.
De parte de todos nosotros aquí en Diocesan, ¡Dios los bendiga!
Tommy Shultz is a Business Development Representative for Diocesan. In this role he is committed to bringing the best software to dioceses and parishes while helping them evangelize on the digital continent. Tommy has worked in various diocese and parish roles since his graduation from Franciscan University with a Theology degree. He hopes to use his skills in evangelization, marketing, and communications, to serve the Church and bring the Good News to all. His favorite quote comes from St. John Paul II, who said, “A person is an entity of a sort to which the only proper and adequate way to relate is love.”
Feature Image Credit: Alise Storsul, unsplash.com/photos/EWqwxi9He04
Martyred Northumbrian brothers, one called “the Fair” and one called “the Dark”, companions of St. Willibrord. From Northumbria, they were educated in Ireland. These priests of the Benedictine Order went with Willibrord to Frisia, Netherlands. They were martyred together at Aplerbeke, near Dortmund, Germany, by local pagans.
Remember, O most chaste Spouse of the Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who implored your help and sought your intercession was left unassisted. Full of confidence in your power, I fly unto you, and beg your protection. Despise not, O foster-father of the Redeemer, my humble supplication, but in your bounty, hear and answer me. Amen.
From our human perspective, wouldn’t it be great if Jesus were like the fairy godmother from Cinderella? “Bibbity, bobbity, boo! More faith for you!” We can all enjoy a good chuckle knowing that isn’t how Jesus works. And then we have to pause and really sit in the fact that, no, that isn’t how Jesus works.
Jesus is a miracle worker. But He isn’t ours to command. Jesus is a healer. But we don’t get to decide when it is our time to die. Jesus is a teacher. But we do not get to demand knowledge we aren’t mature enough or wise enough to handle. God is God, we are not.
Just prior to this Gospel reading in Luke, Jesus told the apostles that if someone sinned against them seven times and seven times asked to be forgiven they ought to extend that forgiveness. He warned them about allowing sin to work through them to the detriment of others. Jesus is paving the way for what it means to not only be a disciple but also a teacher of faith.
This scared the apostles. Did they have enough faith? Who could have enough faith to withstand such temptation and be required to extend such forgiveness? They quickly asked Jesus to increase their faith.
Jesus didn’t wave His wand and pour more faith into them. That’s not how faith works. Faith is like a muscle. It has to be exercised to grow stronger. We don’t need God to give us more, we need to learn how to use the faith we have already been given.
Faith is a free gift from God. As it is a gift, it is up to us to accept it. Once we accept it, we have to learn how to use it, how to rely on it. How? By becoming humble servants of God, trusting in His Will for our lives. We have each been given specific work to do upon this earth which will bring God glory. Just as we have duties within our own family, we have duties as members of the Mystical Body of Christ, our heavenly family.
At the close of our life when we stand before God, let us all hope to be able to say, “we have done what we were obliged to do.” May we stand proud of how we followed God’s Will, how we obeyed His commands and did the work He had so carefully chosen for us to do.
Desde nuestra perspectiva humana, ¿no sería genial si Jesús fuera como el hada madrina de la Cenicienta? “¡Bibbity, bobbity, boo! ¡Más fe para ti!” Todos podemos disfrutar de una buena risa sabiendo que no es así con Jesús. Y luego tenemos que hacer una pausa y realmente darnos cuenta del hecho de que, no, no es así con Jesús.
Jesús es un obrador de milagros. Pero no es nuestro lugar mandarlo. Jesús es el sanador. Pero no podemos decidir cuándo es nuestro momento de morir. Jesús es el maestro. Pero no podemos exigir conocimientos que no seamos lo suficientemente maduros o sabios para manejar. Dios es Dios y nosotros no lo somos.
Justo antes de esta lectura del Evangelio de Lucas, Jesús les dijo a los apóstoles que si alguien había pecado contra ellos siete veces y siete veces pedía perdón, deberían extender ese perdón. Les advirtió acerca de permitir que el pecado obrara a través de ellos en detrimento de los demás. Jesús está allanando el camino para lo que significa no solo ser un discípulo sino también un maestro de fe.
Esto asustó a los apóstoles. ¿Tuvieron la fe suficiente? ¿Quién podría tener la fe suficiente para resistir esa tentación y ser requerido extender el perdón? Rápidamente le pidieron a Jesús que aumentara su fe.
Jesús no agitó su varita y derramó más fe en ellos. La fe no funciona así. La fe es como un músculo. Tiene que ser ejercitado para crecer más fuerte. No necesitamos que Dios nos dé más, necesitamos aprender a usar la fe que ya nos ha sido dada.
La fe es un don gratuito de Dios. Como es un regalo, depende de nosotros aceptarlo. Una vez que lo aceptamos, tenemos que aprender a usarlo, a confiar en él. ¿Cómo? Haciéndonos humildes servidores de Dios, confiando en Su Voluntad para nuestras vidas. A cada uno de nosotros se nos ha dado un trabajo específico para hacer en esta tierra que traerá gloria a Dios. Así como tenemos deberes dentro de nuestra propia familia, tenemos deberes como miembros del Cuerpo Místico de Cristo, nuestra familia celestial.
Al final de nuestra vida, cuando estemos delante de Dios, esperemos todos poder decir: “hemos hecho lo que estábamos obligados a hacer”. Que estemos orgullosos de cómo seguimos la Voluntad de Dios, cómo obedecimos Sus mandamientos e hicimos el trabajo que Él había escogido tan cuidadosamente para nosotros.
Kate Taliaferro is an Air Force wife and mother. She is blessed to be able to homeschool, bake bread and fold endless piles of laundry. When not planning a school day, writing a blog post or cooking pasta, Kate can be found curled up with a book or working with some kind of fiber craft. Kate blogs at DailyGraces.net.
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Leger was raised at the court of King Clotaire II and by his uncle, Bishop Didon of Poitiers. Leger was made archdeacon by Didon, was ordained, and in about 651, became abbot of Maxentius Abbey, where he introduced the Rule of St. Benedict. He served Queen Regent St. Bathildis and helped her govern when Clovis II died in 656, and was named bishop of Autun in 663. He reconciled the differing factions that had torn the See apart, introduced reforms, fortified the town, and was known for his …