Month: February 2025

Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Sirach 6:5-17

A kind mouth multiplies friends and appeases enemies,
and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.
Let your acquaintances be many,
but one in a thousand your confidant.
When you gain a friend, first test him,
and be not too ready to trust him.
For one sort is a friend when it suits him,
but he will not be with you in time of distress.
Another is a friend who becomes an enemy,
and tells of the quarrel to your shame.
Another is a friend, a boon companion,
who will not be with you when sorrow comes.
When things go well, he is your other self,
and lords it over your servants;
But if you are brought low, he turns against you
and avoids meeting you.
Keep away from your enemies;
be on your guard with your friends.
A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth.
A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy,
such as he who fears God finds;
For he who fears God behaves accordingly,
and his friend will be like himself.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 119:12, 16, 18, 27, 34, 35

R. (35a)  Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Blessed are you, O LORD;
teach me your statutes.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
In your statutes I will delight;
I will not forget your words.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Open my eyes, that I may consider
the wonders of your law.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Make me understand the way of your precepts,
and I will meditate on your wondrous deeds.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Give me discernment, that I may observe your law
and keep it with all my heart.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.
Lead me in the path of your commands,
for in it I delight.
R. Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.

Alleluia John 17:17b, 17a

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Your word, O Lord, is truth;
consecrate us in the truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mark 10:1-12

Jesus came into the district of Judea and across the Jordan.
Again crowds gathered around him and, as was his custom,
he again taught them.
The Pharisees approached him and asked,
“Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?”
They were testing him.
He said to them in reply, “What did Moses command you?”
They replied,
“Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her.”
But Jesus told them,
“Because of the hardness of your hearts
he wrote you this commandment.
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
In the house the disciples again questioned Jesus about this.
He said to them,
“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another
commits adultery against her;
and if she divorces her husband and marries another,
she commits adultery.”

 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The Blessing of True Friends / La bendición de los amigos verdaderos

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A couple decades ago, my 20-something self decided to fly the coop and try living out on my own. I finally had a steady job and a close friend had purchased a second house and was renting it out. Now all I needed were roommates. With the help of Catholic young adult groups I found myself moving in with two other young ladies. One of them was more reserved and kept mostly to herself while the other was outgoing but seemed engrossed in her boyfriend. I had my own social life and was just looking for a couple people to help pay the bills, so I was happy with the arrangement. 

Little did I know that within a few months one of those ladies, whom I thought was too much like myself, would become one of my best friends. We’re talking about – I’m in your wedding and you’re in mine – type of friends. We’re talking about – you live halfway across the world but every time we see each other we are able to instantly reconnect – type of friends. We’re talking about – I pray for you and you pray for me when we’re going through a tough time – type of friends. The kind of friendship that is grounded in true care for one another and rooted in love for God. 

Today’s first reading warns us to be careful about who we choose as friends: “Let your acquaintances be many, but one in a thousand your confidant.” But once you find that confidant, you truly understand the words that follow: “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth. A faithful friend is a life-saving remedy, such as he who fears God finds; For he who fears God behaves accordingly, and his friend will be like himself.”

I can honestly say that this friend is a treasure to me, someone I can count on to share my joys with and who shows me compassion in my sorrows. I never thought that two people with such similar personalities could jive so well, but in the end it is the similarity of our faith that holds us together like glue. 

On this day, let us reflect on the deep friendships we are blessed with. May we realize that they are not a dime a dozen but rather one in a thousand, and thank God for bringing those people into our lives. For truly, “A faithful friend is beyond price, no sum can balance his worth.”

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Hace un par de décadas, cuando tenía veintitantos años, decidí salir de la casa de mis padres e ir a vivir en otro lugar. Por fin tenía un trabajo estable y un amigo cercano había comprado una segunda casa y la estaba alquilando. Ahora todo lo que necesitaba eran compañeras de casa. Con la ayuda de grupos de jóvenes adultos católicos, me encontré mudándome con otras dos chicas jóvenes. Una de ellas era más reservada y mayormente se quedaba en su cuarto, mientras que la otra era extrovertida, pero parecía absorta en su novio. Yo tenía mi propia vida social y solo buscaba un par de personas que me ayudaran a pagar las cuentas, así que estaba feliz con el arreglo.

No sabía que dentro de unos pocos meses una de esas chicas, a quien pensaba que se parecía demasiado a mí, se convertiría en una de mis mejores amigas. Estamos hablando de amigos del tipo “yo te invito a ser dama en mi boda y yo en la tuya”. Estamos hablando de amigos del tipo “vives al otro lado del mundo, pero cada vez que nos vemos podemos reconectarnos instantáneamente”. Estamos hablando de amigos del tipo “yo rezo por ti y tú rezas por mí cuando estamos pasando por un momento difícil”. El tipo de amistad que se basa en el verdadero cariño mutuo y fundado en el amor a Dios.

La primera lectura de hoy nos advierte que tengamos cuidado con quiénes elegimos como amigos: “Es bueno que te saluden muchos; pero que uno solo entre mil sea tu amigo íntimo”. Pero una vez que encuentras a ese confidente, realmente entiendes las palabras que siguen: “El amigo fiel es un refugio que da seguridad; el que lo encuentra, ha encontrado un tesoro. El amigo fiel no tiene precio: ningún dinero ajusta para comprarlo. El amigo fiel es un tónico de vida. Los que aman al Señor lo encontrarán; el que teme al Señor sabe ser fiel amigo y hace a sus amigos como él”.

Puedo decir honestamente que esta amiga es un tesoro para mí, alguien con quien puedo contar para compartir mis alegrías y que me muestra compasión en mis penas. Nunca pensé que dos personas con personalidades tan semejantes pudieran llevarse tan bien, pero al final es la similitud de nuestra fe lo que nos mantiene unidos.

En este día, reflexionemos sobre las amistades profundas con las que hemos sido bendecidos. Que nos demos cuenta de que no son comunes y corrientes, sino más bien una entre mil, y agradezcamos a Dios por traer a esas personas a nuestras vidas. Porque en verdad, El amigo fiel no tiene precio: ningún dinero ajusta para comprarlo”.

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Tami Urcia is a midwestern gal from a large Catholic family. As a young adulthood she was a missionary in Mexico, where she studied theology and philosophy. After returning stateside bilingual, she gained a variety of work experience, traveled extensively and finished her Bachelor’s Degree at Brescia University. She loves organizing and simplifying things, watching her children play sports, deep conversations with close family and friends and finding unique ways to brighten others’ day with Christ’s love. She works full time at Diocesan in the Software Department and manages the Inspiration Daily reflections. She is also a guest blogger on CatholicMom.com and BlessedIsShe.net.

Feature Image Credit: Kenny Eliason, unsplash.com/photos/two-women-smiling-while-standing-near-wall-mRl17InnAi4

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post The Blessing of True Friends / La bendición de los amigos verdaderos appeared first on Diocesan.

Thursday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

Reading 1 Sirarch 5:1-8

Rely not on your wealth;
say not: “I have the power.”
Rely not on your strength
in following the desires of your heart.
Say not: “Who can prevail against me?”
or, “Who will subdue me for my deeds?”
for God will surely exact the punishment.
Say not: “I have sinned, yet what has befallen me?”
for the Most High bides his time.
Of forgiveness be not overconfident,
adding sin upon sin.
Say not: “Great is his mercy;
my many sins he will forgive.”
For mercy and anger alike are with him;
upon the wicked alights his wrath.
Delay not your conversion to the LORD,
put it not off from day to day.
For suddenly his wrath flames forth;
at the time of vengeance you will be destroyed.
Rely not upon deceitful wealth,
for it will be no help on the day of wrath.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 1:1-4, 6

R. (40:5a) Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Blessed the man who follows not
the counsel of the wicked
Nor walks in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the LORD
and meditates on his law day and night.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
He is like a tree
planted near running water,
That yields its fruit in due season,
and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does, prospers.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.
Not so the wicked, not so;
they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
For the LORD watches over the way of the just,
but the way of the wicked vanishes.
R. Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

Alleluia 1 Thessalonians 2:13

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,
but as it truly is, the word of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mark 9:41-50

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,   
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed   
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled   
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. 

“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
 

– – –

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rely Not on Your Wealth / No confíes en tu riqueza

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“Rely not on your wealth…. Say not: ‘Who can prevail against me?’” The first reading from Sirach is one of my favorites. Kind of sounds the opposite of the way people today think, doesn’t it? 

I grew up being told that making a lot of money means you are successful. That was very much ingrained in my head. So, I started my adult life by trying to do just that. I fought my way through 19 people who were trying to get the same job, and I got it. It was for a large corporation with 35 branches around the country and I would be in one of them. It was without a doubt the most stressful job I have ever had! I was hired to be a purchasing agent. 

Come Monday morning, I was told that I was to do that before 8:00am and after 5:00pm. Sitting before me was a four foot catalog that I knew nothing about. It was pieces and parts that had to do with hydraulics and pneumatics. I would be selling on the phone during the day to our customers. GULP! Learning and selling thousands of new parts and then ordering them and selling them on the phone in the early days was very stressful! I was bound not to fail. 

I worked a lot of extra hours on salary to survive. This was a job totally run by negative motivation. I do not recommend that! However, after a year I was promoted to inside branch manager. It was still stressful because I was promoted too soon. Time moved on and I was still determined that I would make it. I worked very hard.

One day I came home earlier than usual. For some reason I came in the back door. I opened the door into the kitchen where my wife was doing dishes and our two little boys were standing near her. They both looked at me and had no idea who I was! They were about 3 and 1 years old at the time. They went and stood behind their mother as if they didn’t recognize me. I’m a lover of children and it broke my heart. I had been leaving the house before they got up and returning after they were in bed. At that moment I decided that climbing the corporate ladder was not as important as my family. So, I let go of my desire for success and backed off working so many hours. 

Looking back 50 years, I believe it’s what the Lord really wanted me to do. He was calling me to not rely on wealth but on Him. I didn’t make as much money as I could have but we had enough to raise eight children with a stay at home mom. Now, with 31 grandchildren I am majorly blessed! 

Serving with joy!

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“No confíes en tus riquezas… No digas: ‘Yo a nadie me someto’”. La primera lectura de Sirácides es una de mis favoritas. Suena un poco al contrario de lo que la gente piensa hoy día, ¿no crees?

Crecí escuchando que ganar mucho dinero significa que eres exitoso. Eso estaba muy arraigado en mi cabeza. Entonces, comencé mi vida adulta tratando de hacer exactamente eso. Me abrí paso entre 19 personas que intentaban obtener el mismo trabajo, y yo lo conseguí. Era para una gran corporación con 35 sucursales en todo el país y yo estaría en una de ellas. ¡Fue sin duda el trabajo más estresante que he tenido! Me contrataron para ser agente de compras.

El lunes por la mañana, me dijeron que debía hacer eso antes de las 8:00 a. m. y después de las 5:00 p. m. Frente a mí había un catálogo de cuatro pies del que no sabía nada. Eran piezas y partes que tenían que ver con hidráulica y neumática. Durante el día, yo vendía por teléfono a nuestros clientes. ¡Aprender y vender miles de piezas nuevas y luego pedirlas y venderlas por teléfono en los primeros días fue muy estresante! Estaba resuelto a no fracasar.

Trabajé muchas horas extras por salario para sobrevivir. Este era un trabajo totalmente dirigido por una motivación negativa. ¡No lo recomiendo! Sin embargo, después de un año me ascendieron a gerente interno de la sucursal. Todavía era estresante porque me ascendieron demasiado pronto. El tiempo pasó y yo seguía decidido a lograrlo. Trabajé muy duro.

Un día llegué a casa antes de la hora normal. Por alguna razón entré por la puerta trasera. Abrí la puerta de la cocina donde mi esposa estaba lavando los platos y nuestros dos niños pequeños estaban de pie cerca de ella. ¡Ambos me miraron y no tenían idea de quién era yo! Tenían alrededor de 3 y 1 año en ese momento. Fueron y se pararon detrás de su madre como si no me reconocieran. A mi me encantan los niños pequeños y eso me rompió el corazón. Había estado saliendo de la casa antes de que se levantaran y regresando después de que se acostaron. En ese momento decidí que ascender en la empresa no era tan importante como mi familia. Así que dejé de lado mi deseo de éxito y dejé de trabajar tantas horas.

Mirando hacia atrás 50 años, creo que es lo que el Señor realmente quería que hiciera. Me estaba llamando a no depender de la riqueza sino de Él. No gané tanto dinero como podría haber hecho, pero teníamos lo suficiente para criar a ocho hijos con una madre que se quedaba en casa. ¡Ahora, con 31 nietos, soy un hombre muy bendecido!

¡Sirviendo con alegría!

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Deacon Dan Schneider is a retired general manager of industrial distributors. He and his wife Vicki have been married for over 55 years. They are the parents of eight children and thirty-one grandchildren. He has a degree in Family Life Education from Spring Arbor University. He was ordained a Permanent Deacon in 2002.  He has a passion for working with engaged and married couples and his main ministry has been preparing couples for marriage.

Featured Image Credit: Katie Harp, unsplash.com/photos/10-us-dollar-bill-and-coins-T4mMxYS31z0

The views and opinions expressed in the Inspiration Daily blog are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Diocesan, the Diocesan staff, or other contributors to this blog.

The post Rely Not on Your Wealth / No confíes en tu riqueza appeared first on Diocesan.