St. Padre Pio was an Italian priest who was known for his piety and charity, as well as the gift of the stigmata, which has never been explained.
St. Padre Pio was born Francesco Forgione, on May 25, 1887, in Pietrelcina, Italy. His parents were peasant farmers. He had an older brother and three younger sisters, as well as two other siblings who died in infancy. As a child, he was very religious and by the age of five he reportedly made the decision to dedicate his life to God.
Fortunately, …
Father, for the strength you have given me I thank you.
For the health you have blessed me with, I thank you.
For the women who are going through breast cancer and their families
I ask you to strengthen and to heal as you see fit.
Lord we know you want us to be in good health and to prosper.
Lord use us to do the work you have for us to do.
For we know time is getting short on this earth.
Lord be with every woman who is sick
and encourage them as only you can.
I know …
Recently I spent an hour with one of my dear friends. The room was quiet as we spoke together. Now in her eighties, she is no longer able to walk about freely and falls are frequent. She told me that her memory is going, making it difficult to carry on a conversation for very long since the topic quickly vanishes from her mind.
Together we gazed out of her large window at the beautiful trees that grew in the front yard. With a sigh we both realized that Jesus was beginning to take her into the wilderness of his Heart, that place of unknowing where we all are eventually invited to restfully trust in him as he leads us to glory.
“But as it is written:
‘What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NABRE).
Questions about life’s meaninglessness, about the way in which our days pass like vapor, about how all that we do and accomplish seems to vanish without a trace as we age, these burden not just the heart of Qoheleth in today’s First Reading, but at certain points in our lives these questions haunt us too. I once heard that the book of Ecclesiastes identifies the question to which the whole of Revelation is the answer. In this quickly changing world, all that our life has been seems to slip through our fingers, and our heart longs for life, true life, life that is a treasure that neither moth nor rust can destroy.
“You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever” (Psalm 16:11).
Both Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians and the Psalmist see life as a great river rushing toward a goal prepared for us by God where we will find joy and delight at his right hand forever. How different is this message from the distressing observations of Ecclesiastes in our First Reading today:
“One generation passes and another comes,
but the world forever stays.
The sun rises and the sun goes down;
then it presses on to the place where it rises.
Blowing now toward the south, then toward the north,
the wind turns again and again, resuming its rounds.
All rivers go to the sea,
yet never does the sea become full.
To the place where they go,
the rivers keep on going” (Eccl 1:4-7).
There is something cyclical in this description of continual, unending, “coming and going” of things. In this reading there is no sense of the enduring, of divine gift and guidance and mission, of an end which has been ordained for all things by God. Instead, the more things change, as the saying goes, the more things stay the same, endlessly repeating to seemingly no purpose.
Today many experience life in this way. Not being grounded in the fertile soil of God’s action and love, much of what constitutes activity in our world seems to have no real meaning. I believe that during the pandemic many began to feel this way. The tasks they had been doing in their jobs were now no longer satisfying to them, no longer seemed purposeful, no longer worth devoting their whole life to. They began to seek something more meaningful to do with their careers.
It is ultimately only God who truly defines us and the purpose of our lives, their unending purpose.
This discouraged sigh of Qoheleth whose voice we hear in Ecclesiastes may escape also now and then from your heart. However, Saint Paul encourages you not to give in to this sense of futility and hopelessness. Instead, take on Paul’s own strength, faith, and hope when he cries out, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6 NABRE).
Recientemente pasé una hora con uno de mis amigas queridas. El salón era silencioso mientras conversamos juntos. Ahora que tiene ochenta años, ya no puede caminar libremente y se cae frecuentemente. Me dijo que está perdiendo la memoria, ya que se le dificulta mantener una conversación por mucho tiempo porque el tema desaparece rápidamente de su mente.
Juntos miramos por la ventana grande a los hermosos árboles que crecían en el jardín de enfrente. Con un suspiro, ambos nos dimos cuenta de que Jesús estaba comenzando a llevarla al desierto de su Corazón, ese lugar del desconocimiento donde finalmente todos estamos invitados a confiar tranquilamente en él mientras nos conduce a la gloria.
“Sin embargo, como está escrito:
Ningún ojo ha visto, ningún oído ha escuchado,
ninguna mente humana ha concebido,
lo que Dios ha preparado para quienes lo aman’” (1 Corintios 2:9).
Las preguntas sobre el sinsentido de la vida, sobre la forma en que nuestros días pasan como el vapor, sobre cómo todo lo que hacemos y logramos parece desvanecerse sin dejar rastro a medida que envejecemos, estas preguntas no solo agobian el corazón de Qohelet en la Primera Lectura de hoy, sino durante ciertos puntos en nuestras vidas estas preguntas también nos persiguen a nosotros. Una vez escuché que el libro de Eclesiastés identifica la pregunta a la cual todo el Apocalipsis es la respuesta. En este mundo que cambia rápidamente, todo lo que ha sido nuestra vida parece escurrirse entre nuestros dedos, y nuestro corazón anhela la vida, la vida verdadera, la vida que es un tesoro que ni la polilla ni el óxido pueden destruir.
“Me has dado a conocer la senda de la vida;
me llenarás de alegría en tu presencia,
y de dicha eterna a tu derecha” (Salmo 16:11).
Tanto Pablo en su Primera Carta a los Corintios como el Salmista ven la vida como un gran río que se precipita hacia una meta preparada por Dios para nosotros donde encontraremos gozo y deleite a su diestra para siempre. Cuán diferente es este mensaje de las angustiosas observaciones de Eclesiastés en nuestra Primera Lectura de hoy:
“Pasa una generación y viene otra,
pero la tierra permanece siempre.
El sol sale y se pone;
corre y llega a su lugar,
de dónde vuelve a salir.
Sopla el viento hacia el sur y gira luego hacia el norte,
y dando vueltas y más vueltas, vuelve siempre a girar.
Todos los ríos van al mar, pero el mar nunca se llena;
regresan al punto de donde vinieron
y de nuevo vuelven a correr” (Ecl 1:4-7).
Hay algo cíclico en esta descripción del continuo, interminable, “ir y venir” de las cosas. En esta lectura no hay sentido de perdurabilidad, de don divino, de guía y de misión, de un fin que ha sido ordenado por Dios para todas las cosas. En cambio, cuanto más cambian las cosas, como dice el refrán, más cosas permanecen igual, repitiéndose sin cesar aparentemente sin ningún propósito.
Hoy muchos experimentan la vida de esta manera. Al no estar arraigado en la tierra fértil de la acción y el amor de Dios, mucho de lo que constituye la actividad en nuestro mundo parece no tener un significado real. Yo creo que durante la pandemia muchos empezaron a sentirse así. Las tareas que habían estado haciendo en sus trabajos ahora ya no les satisfacían, ya no parecían tener un propósito, ya no valía la pena dedicar toda su vida a eso. Comenzaron a buscar algo más significativo que hacer con sus carreras.
En última instancia, es solo Dios quien verdaderamente nos define y el propósito de nuestras vidas, su propósito sin fin.
Este suspiro desanimado de Qohelet cuya voz escuchamos en Eclesiastés puede escapar también de vez en cuando de tu corazón. Sin embargo, san Pablo los anima a no ceder a este sentimiento de futilidad y desesperanza. En lugar de eso, toma la fuerza, la fe y la esperanza de Pablo cuando clama: “Estoy convencido de esto: el que comenzó tan buena obra en ustedes la irá perfeccionando hasta el día de Cristo Jesús” (Filipenses 1,6).
Kathryn 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: Negative Space, www.pexels.com/photo/silhouette-of-dandelion-behind-sun-167838/
Augustinian bishop. Born at Fuentellana, Castile, Spain, he was the son of a miller. He studied at the University of Alcala, earned a licentiate in theology, and became a professor there at the age of twenty-six. He declined the chair of philosophy at the university of Salamanca and instead entered the Order of St Augustine
at Salamanca in 1516. Ordained in 1520, he served as prior of several houses in Salamanca, Burgos, and Valladolid, as provincial ofAndal usia and Castile, and then court …
Mother of Perpetual Help, today we face so many difficulties. Your picture tells us so much about you. It reminds us to reach out and help those in need. Help us understand that our lives belong to others as much as they belong to us.
Mary, Model of Christian love, we know we cannot heal every ill or solve every problem. But with God’s grace, we intend to do what we can. May we be true witnesses to the world that love for one another really matters. May our daily actions proclaim how fully …
“As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew. He said to him, ‘Follow me.’”
Jesus is where we are. Whether we are living a holy life, struggling with temptations inundating us like a hurricane, or lost in the mire of vice or sin, Jesus is always passing by.
Jesus is not passing by intent on avoiding us. He is passing by in order to see us, to show us that we are seen with the eyes of respect and love. Jesus sees us, as we most deeply are. He delights in us, for he has made all things good.
There are many reasons why I want to avoid your gaze, Jesus. I don’t feel worthy. I don’t know how to respond to you. I’m afraid. But here you are, passing by, seeing me as you saw Matthew.
I can imagine Matthew with either an arrogant gaze—by which he defended himself from the hatred of his fellow countrymen—or a defensive, sullen, withdrawn attitude as he isolated himself from their disdain. Jesus looked into Matthew’s eyes, eyes that had known only rejection from others, and for the first time Matthew knew that someone truly saw him. Someone had seen his wounds, his fears, his desires, his folly, his sin, and his potential.
You saw him, Lord Jesus, and you called him by name and you invited him to live in your presence. You wanted him to be both your disciple and your apostle. In following you, Matthew was to embark on the adventure of metanoia and mission, to proclaim your glory to the world. In fact, he did both immediately.
“And [Matthew] got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples.”
The rich young man had walked away sad, unable to really give himself over to the following of Christ. Matthew, on the other hand, jumped up, immediately corresponding to the grace of his call. To the one who had really seen him—who did not consider simply that he had betrayed his people by extorting their money and overcharging their taxes—to this Lord and Master he entrusted his whole life.
This one loving look of the Savior that expressed a commitment to his dignity and a willingness to care about him, changed his life forever.
Pope Francis in his peace message published on December 17, 2021, invited us to have the eyes of Christ for each other. He called it the “culture of care.”
“The culture of care calls for a common, supportive and inclusive commitment to protecting and promoting the dignity and good of all, a willingness to show care and compassion, to work for reconciliation and healing, and to advance mutual respect and acceptance…. May we never yield to the temptation to disregard others, especially those in greatest need, and to look the other way; instead, may we strive daily, in concrete and practical ways, to form a community composed of brothers and sisters who accept and care for one another.”
When I am hurt or angry, I have to admit my eyes are not caring. My gaze can be arrogant or withdrawn or sullen. Jesus’s gaze alone restores to us the joy of life, the kind of happiness that radiates from our soul through our eyes. When you see a person perfectly at peace or someone who spends a lot of time in prayer, you can see that radiance, that happiness. Their eyes have a depth to them that cannot be fathomed.
Allow Jesus today to see you as he passes you by. He is there to call you again and again to follow him. When you have followed him, turn then to cast eyes of concern and respect and acceptance on your brothers and sisters. For it may be that they will only know the gaze of the Lord through your eyes, and his gentle compassion through your words.
Al pasar “Jesús vio a un hombre llamado Mateo, sentado a su mesa de recaudador de impuestos, y le dijo: ‘Sígueme’”.
Jesús se encuentra donde nos encontramos nosotros. Ya sea que estemos viviendo una vida santa, luchando con las tentaciones que nos inundan como un huracán, o perdidos en el lodo del vicio o del pecado, Jesús siempre está pasando cerca nuestro.
Jesús no pasa de largo con la intención de evitarnos. Pasa para vernos, para mostrarnos que somos vistos con los ojos del respeto y del amor. Jesús nos ve en lo más profundo de nuestro ser. Él se deleita en nosotros, porque él ha hecho todas las cosas buenas.
Hay muchas razones por las que quiero evitar tu mirada, Jesús. No me siento digno. No se como responderte. Tengo miedo. Pero aquí estás, pasando, viéndome como viste a Mateo.
Me imagino a Mateo con una mirada arrogante —con la que se defendía del odio de sus compatriotas— o con una actitud defensiva, hosca, retraída, aislándose de su desdén. Jesús miró a los ojos de Mateo, ojos que solo habían conocido el rechazo de los demás, y por primera vez Mateo supo que alguien realmente lo estaba viendo. Alguien había visto sus heridas, sus miedos, sus deseos, su locura, su pecado y su potencial.
Tú lo viste, Señor Jesús, y lo llamaste por su nombre y lo invitaste a vivir en tu presencia. Querías que fuera tanto tu discípulo como tu apóstol. Siguiéndote, Mateo iba a emprender la aventura de un cambio profundo y de la misión, para proclamar tu gloria al mundo. De hecho, hizo ambas cosas inmediatamente.
Y “[Mateo] se levantó y lo siguió. Después, cuando estaba a la mesa en casa de Mateo, muchos publicanos y pecadores se sentaron también a comer con Jesús y sus discípulos.”
El joven rico se había marchado triste, incapaz de entregarse realmente al seguimiento de Cristo. Mateo, en cambio, se levantó de un salto, correspondiendo inmediatamente a la gracia de su llamada, a quien realmente lo había visto, que no consideraba simplemente que había traicionado a su pueblo extorsionando su dinero y cobrando en exceso sus impuestos, a este Señor y Maestro le encomendó toda su vida.
Esta mirada amorosa del Salvador que expresó un compromiso con su dignidad y una disponabilidad de cuidarlo, cambió su vida para siempre.
El Papa Francisco en su mensaje de paz publicado el 17 de diciembre de 2021, nos invitó a tener los ojos de Cristo los unos para los otros. Lo llamó la “cultura del cuidado”.
La cultura del cuidado, como compromiso común, solidario y participativo para proteger y promover la dignidad y el bien de todos, como una disposición al cuidado, a la atención, a la compasión, a la reconciliación y a la recuperación, al respeto y a la aceptación mutuos…No cedamos a la tentación de desinteresarnos de los demás, especialmente de los más débiles; no nos acostumbremos a desviar la mirada, sino comprometámonos cada día concretamente para ‘formar una comunidad compuesta de hermanos que se acogen recíprocamente y se preocupan los unos de los otros’.”
Cuando estoy herido o enojado, tengo que admitir que mis ojos no contienen compasión. Mi mirada puede ser arrogante o retraída o hosca. Sólo la mirada de Jesús nos devuelve la alegría de vivir, la felicidad que irradia de nuestra alma a través de nuestros ojos. Cuando ves a una persona perfectamente en paz o a alguien que pasa mucho tiempo en oración, puedes ver ese resplandor, esa felicidad. Sus ojos tienen una profundidad que no se puede comprender.
Permita que Jesús hoy te vea cuando pase cerca tuyo. Él está allí para llamarte una y otra vez para que lo sigas. Cuando lo hayas seguido, vuélve a mirar con preocupación, respeto y aceptación a tus hermanos y hermanas. Porque puede ser que sólo conozcan la mirada del Señor a través de tus ojos, y su dulce compasión a través de tus palabras.
Kathryn 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: Wilfredo Mendoza, www.cathopic.com/photo/3748-jesus-te-espera-con-brazos-abiertos
Little is known about St. Matthew, except that he was the son of Alpheus, and he was likely born in Galilee. He worked as a tax collector, which was a hated profession during the time of Christ.
According to the Gospel, Matthew was working at a collection booth in Capernaum when Christ came to him and asked, “Follow me.” With this simple call, Matthew became a disciple of Christ.
From Matthew we know of the many doings of Christ and the message Christ spread of salvation for all people who …
O God, by Your mighty power You made all things out of nothing. First, You set the beginnings of the universe in order. Then, You made man in Your image, and appointed woman to be his inseparable helpmate. Thus You made woman’s body from the flesh of man, thereby teaching that what You have been pleased to institute from one principle might never lawfully be put asunder. O God, You have sanctified marriage by a mystery so excellent that in the marriage union You foreshadowed the union of Christ …
Each week, hopefully each day for many of us, we hear the words of Scripture. This can be at Mass, within a Bible study, spiritual reading, even a post-it note on your mirror. We have the incredible good fortune to be able to surround ourselves, visually and audibly, with Scripture. We have apps, audio books, websites, access to printed Bibles, pen, paper and many near-empty journals.
These are incredibly abundant blessings that so many throughout history have not received. Think about the early Christians who passed on the faith by word of mouth, secret meetings and liturgies for fear of persecution. Think of the countries where Catholicism was considered traitorous at various points in history. Think about the places in the world today where Christianity is still unwelcome and where it is potentially dangerous to have a Bible in your home.
We are able to have an abundance of Scripture in our lives. What happens when we experience abundance? Unfortunately, because of our fallen nature, abundance can easily give way to indifference and even neglect. We are to be hearers of the Word, but do we seek out opportunities to hear at all?
Jesus tells us today that those who hear the Word and act upon it are His mother and His brothers. Jesus is inviting His followers into such a close and intimate relationship with this interaction. Jesus is saying, “I don’t want you to just know about me. I don’t want you to think I have nice things to say, to talk about me at dinner parties as this guy I heard one time. I don’t want to be your acquaintance, or even friend. I want you in my life as my mother is in my life.”
While not everyone has an ideal relationship with their earthly mother, we can all have an ideal relationship with our heavenly mother. Jesus is inviting us to become little Mary’s in the world. We do this by hearing His Word and acting upon it. What better summary could a person give to Mary’s life than that? She heard the Word and, full of confidence and trust in her God, acted upon it. She cooperated with it and in doing so, she bore Christ for the salvation of the world.
This is what we are being invited into today. In hearing the Word of Jesus and acting upon it, we bring Christ forth into the world. We allow Him to work in us and through us to be made manifest in what we say and do.
Cada semana, y capáz cada día para muchos de nosotros, escuchamos las palabras de las Escrituras. Esto puede ser durante la Misa, dentro de un estudio bíblico, en lectura espiritual, o incluso una nota adhesiva en su espejo. Tenemos la increíble suerte de poder rodearnos, visual y audiblemente, con las Escrituras. Tenemos aplicaciones, audiolibros, sitios web, acceso a Biblias impresas, lápiz, papel y muchos diarios casi vacíos.
Estas son bendiciones increíblemente abundantes que muchos a lo largo de la historia no han recibido. Piensa en los primeros cristianos que transmitían la fe de boca en boca, reuniones y liturgias secretas por temor a la persecución. Piensa en los países donde el catolicismo fue considerado traidor en varios momentos de la historia. Piensa en los lugares del mundo actual donde el cristianismo aún no es bienvenido y donde es potencialmente peligroso tener una Biblia en su hogar.
Somos capaces de tener las Escrituras en nuestras vidas en abundancia. ¿Qué sucede cuando experimentamos la abundancia? Desafortunadamente, debido a nuestra naturaleza caída, la abundancia fácilmente puede dar paso a la indiferencia e incluso al descuido. Debemos oír la Palabra, pero ¿buscamos oportunidades para escucharla?
Jesús nos dice hoy que aquellos que escuchan la Palabra y la ponen en práctica son Su madre y Sus hermanos. Jesús está invitando a sus seguidores a una relación muy cercana e íntima con esta interacción. Jesús está diciendo: “No quiero que solo sepas de mí. No quiero que pienses que tengo cosas buenas que decir, que hables de mí en la cena como un tipo del que oí hablar una vez. No quiero ser tu conocido, ni siquiera tu amigo. Te quiero en mi vida como mi madre está en mi vida”.
Si bien no todos tienen una relación ideal con su madre terrenal, todos podemos tener una relación ideal con nuestra madre celestial. Jesús nos invita a convertirnos en otras Marías en el mundo. Hacemos esto al escuchar Su Palabra y ponerla en práctica. Eso es la mejor resumen de la vida de María. Ella escuchó la Palabra y, llena de confianza y seguridad en su Dios, lo puso en práctica. Ella cooperó con él y, al hacerlo, dio a luz a Cristo para la salvación del mundo.
Esto es la invitación de hoy. Al escuchar la Palabra de Jesús y ponerla en práctica, traemos a Cristo al mundo. Permitimos que Él obre en nosotros y a través de nosotros se manifieste en lo que decimos y hacemos.
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.
Feature Image Credit: Oladimeji Ajegbile, www.pexels.com/photo/a-man-reading-indoor-2325729/
Feastday: September 20 The evangelization of Korea began during the 17th century through a group of lay persons. A strong vital Christian community flourished there under lay leadership until missionaries arrived from the Paris Foreign Mission Society. During the terrible persecutions that occurred in the 19th century (in 1839, 1866, and 1867), one hundred and three members of the Christian community gave their lives as martyrs. Outstanding among these witnesses to the faith were the …