O Lord, I beseech Thee to grant me Thy Divine Light,
that I may know the designs of Thy providence concerning me,
and that, filled with a sincere desire for my soulÂ?s salvation,
I may say, with the young man in the Gospel:
What must I do to be saved?
All states of life are before me; but,
still undecided what to do, I await Thy commands,
I offer myself to Thee without restriction,
without reserve, with a most perfect submission.
Far be it from me, O Lord,
to …
Saint Dominic was born in Caleruega, Spain in 1170. His parents were members of the Spanish nobility and related to the ruling family. His father was Felix Guzman, and was the royal warden of the village. His mother, Bl. Joan of Aza, was a holy woman in her own right.
According to one legend, his mother made a pilgrimage to an abbey at Silos. Legend says there were many signs of the great child she would bear. One of the most common legends says that during the pilgrimage, Joan had a dream of …
Blessed Virgin Mary, who can worthily repay you with praise and thanks for having rescued a fallen world by your generous consent! Receive our gratitude, and by your prayers obtain the pardon of our sins. Take our prayers into the sanctuary of heaven and enable them to make our peace with God.
Holy Mary, help the miserable, strengthen the discouraged, comfort the sorrowful, pray for your people, plead for the clergy, intercede for all women consecrated to God. May all who venerate you feel …
How many people when they hear the word faith immediately think of that iconic scene in Indiana Jones where he takes the step out into the apparent void only to be caught by an unseen trail of rock? I know this is where my mind often goes, and though I think this scene actually depicts faith really well, we tend to misunderstand faith as blind obedience to something we can’t understand.
Think about the scene in Indiana Jones for a second. If you haven’t seen the film, Indiana Jones has to make a leap of faith across what looks like a large black hole. His father, who is near death, has full faith that if he takes the step he will survive. Indiana has to put his faith in his father and the knowledge he has in order to get across. Of course, when he jumps, the camera angle turns and reveals a stone pathway that was invisible to the naked eye. Not only was this brilliant from a filmmaking perspective, I think it drives home a point.
Indiana Jones was not trusting dumb luck. He was not jumping out in blind obedience to things he didn’t know. Quite the opposite in fact, he was trusting his father. His father is the one who told him he should jump, his father was the one who fully believed that he would be alright once he took the leap, and then Indiana had to decide. The decision he had to make was whether or not he trusted his father.
It’s really the same with us in the spiritual life isn’t it? If we think of faith as just blind trust to someone we don’t know, then of course we wouldn’t want to have faith. But if we start to learn about who God is, read his story through the scriptures, hear of his love for us, talk with him on a daily basis, then we will start to know him and we can be given the gift of faith.
God wants us to know him and he wants us to trust him. He wants us to know that faith in him gives us power. Like it says in today’s Second Reading, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” Indiana hoped he wouldn’t fall to his death and trusted his father. His hope was realized, or made true, through the invisible bridge. And once his hope was realized, there was evidence for what he couldn’t see. It is the same with us. When we have faith, our hope becomes realized. Do we believe that? Do we trust God enough that we know he wants what is best for us? Do we have faith in him and how he will care for our needs?
Let’s all pray that we can have faith like Abraham did in the Old Testament. Faith which is the realization of our hope and the evidence of things not seen.
From all of us here at Diocesan, God bless!
¿Cuántas personas cuando escuchan la palabra fe inmediatamente piensan en esa escena icónica de la película Indiana Jones donde da el paso hacia el vacío aparente solo para ser sostenido por un camino de roca invisible? Sé que esto es lo que yo pienso con frecuencia, y aunque creo que esta escena realmente representa la fe muy bien, tendemos a malinterpretar la fe como una obediencia ciega a algo que no entendemos.
Piensa en la escena de Indiana Jones por un segundo. Si no has visto la película, Indiana Jones tiene que dar un salto de fe a través de lo que parece ser un gran vacio. Su padre, que está a punto de morir, tiene plena fe en que si da el paso sobrevivirá. Indiana tiene que poner su fe en su padre y el conocimiento que tiene para poder cruzar. Por supuesto, cuando salta, el ángulo de la cámara gira y revela un camino de piedra que era invisible a simple vista. Esto no solo fue brillante desde una perspectiva cinematográfica, creo que también ilustra el punto.
Indiana Jones no confiaba en la mala suerte. No estaba saltando en obediencia ciega a cosas que no sabía. De hecho, todo lo contrario, confiaba en su padre. Su padre es quien le dijo que debería saltar, su padre fue quien creyó plenamente que estaría bien una vez que diera el salto, y luego Indiana tuvo que decidir. La decisión que tenía que tomar era si confiaba o no en su padre.
Realmente es lo mismo con nosotros en la vida espiritual, ¿no? Si pensamos en la fe como una simple confianza ciega en alguien que no conocemos, entonces, por supuesto, no querríamos tener fe. Pero si comenzamos a aprender acerca de quién es Dios, leemos su historia a través de las Escrituras, escuchamos de su amor por nosotros, hablamos con él a diario, entonces comenzaremos a conocerlo y se nos puede dar el don de la fe.
Dios quiere que lo conozcamos y quiere que confiemos en él. Él quiere que sepamos que la fe en él nos da poder. Como dice la Segunda Lectura de hoy, “La fe es la forma de poseer, ya desde ahora, lo que se espera y de conocer las realidades que no se ven”. Indiana esperaba no murir al caer y confiaba en su padre. Su esperanza se realizó, o se hizo realidad, a través del puente invisible. Y una vez que su esperanza se hizo realidad, hubo evidencia de lo que no podía ver. Es lo mismo con nosotros. Cuando tenemos fe, nuestra esperanza se hace realidad. ¿Creemos eso? ¿Confiamos en Dios lo suficiente como para saber que Él quiere lo mejor para nosotros? ¿Tenemos fe en él y en cómo cuidará de nuestras necesidades?
Oremos todos para que podamos tener fe como la tuvo Abraham en el Antiguo Testamento. Fe que es la forma de poseer, ya desde ahora, lo que se espera y de conocer las realidades que no se ven.
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: Dayne Topkin, unsplash.com/photos/xTmqoidRoKQ
In 1523, the Church was in sad shape. People could not get the spiritual nourishment they needed from the large numbers of uneducated and even immoral priests who took their money but returned nothing. When good priests and laypeople turned to the hierarchy for help, they found leaders at best apathetic and indifferent to their concerns. How should a good Catholic respond to this situation? We all known how Luther and others responded — by splitting away from the Catholic Church when their …
O Holy Ghost, divine Spirit of light and love, I consecrate to Thee my understanding, my heart and my will, my whole being for time and for eternity. May my understanding be always obedient to Thy heavenly inspirations and the teachings of the holy Catholic Church, of which Thou art the infallible Guide; may my heart be ever inflamed with love of God and of my neighbor; may my will be ever conformed to the divine will, and may my whole life be a faithful following of the life and virtues of Our …
Every year when the Feast of the Transfiguration comes around, I wonder “What were Peter, John, and James thinking?” As they climbed the mountain with Jesus were they thinking about the beauty they would encounter at the peak? Were they complaining about blisters forming on their feet? Were they thinking about how sore their muscles would be the next morning? Whatever they were thinking, my guess is that even in their wildest thoughts they did not imagine they would encounter Jesus conversing with Moses and Elijah.
With the Transfiguration, Jesus gives Peter, John, and James a glimpse at what they will experience in Heaven. Peter recognizes what Jesus is showing them and when they see Jesus in His glory Peter says, “Master, it is good that we are here”.
“Master, it is good that we are here.”
What a humbling statement. Imagine how our perspectives on our circumstances and on life in general could change if our constant prayer were “Master, it is good that we are here.” It’s easy to find God in positive circumstances: when we hear good news, when we visit a beautiful place, when we run into an old friend. But do we seek the Lord in the midst of difficult circumstances? Do we try to see how “it is good that we are here” when it’s not so obvious? The image of the transfigured Lord gives us something to look forward to. He reveals His glory to Peter, John, and James so they can bear witness to others about the good that comes with acknowledging Christ as the Son of God. Jesus calls us to testify to His glory in the same way the disciples did.
May we open our hearts and minds to whatever God is calling us to and put our trust in God so we can say with confidence “Master, it is good that we are here”.
Cada año, cuando llega la Fiesta de la Transfiguración, me pregunto: “¿Qué estaban pensando Pedro, Juan y Santiago?” Mientras subían la montaña con Jesús, ¿estaban pensando en la belleza que encontrarían en la cima? ¿Se quejaban de que se les formaban ampollas en los pies? ¿Estaban pensando en el dolor que sintirían en los músculos el día siguiente? Independientemente de lo que estuvieran pensando, mi suposición es que incluso en sus pensamientos más locos no imaginaron que se encontrarían con Jesús conversando con Moisés y Elías.
Durante la Transfiguración, Jesús les da a Pedro, Juan y Santiago un vistazo de lo que experimentarán en el Cielo. Pedro reconoce lo que Jesús les está mostrando y cuando ven a Jesús en su gloria Pedro dice: “Maestro, ¡qué a gusto estamos aquí!”
“Maestro, ¡qué a gusto estamos aquí!”
Qué declaración tan humilde. Imagínese cómo podrían cambiar nuestras perspectivas sobre nuestras circunstancias y sobre la vida en general si nuestra oración constante fuera “Maestro, ¡qué a gusto estamos aquí!” Es fácil encontrar a Dios en circunstancias positivas: cuando escuchamos buenas noticias, cuando visitamos un lugar hermoso, cuando nos encontramos con un amigo después de mucho tiempo. Pero, ¿buscamos al Señor en medio de circunstancias difíciles? ¿Tratamos de ver cómo “¡qué a gusto estamos aquí!” cuando no es tan obvio? La imagen del Señor transfigurado nos da algo que esperar. Él revela Su gloria a Pedro, Juan y Santiago para que puedan dar testimonio a otros sobre el bien que viene al reconocer a Cristo como el Hijo de Dios. Jesús nos llama a dar testimonio de Su gloria de la misma manera que lo hicieron los discípulos.
Que abramos nuestros corazones y mentes a lo que Dios nos está llamando y pongamos nuestra confianza en Dios para que podamos decir con confianza “Maestro, ¡qué a gusto estamos aquí!”
Dakota lives in Denver, CO with her husband, Ralph, and their two sons, Alfie & Theophilus. She is the Dean of Enrollment Management for Bishop Machebeuf High School where her husband also teaches. You can find Dakota at the zoo or a brewery with her family or with her nose in a book at home. For more of Dakota’s writing check out https://dakotaleonard16.blogspot.com/
Feature Image Credit: Rita Laura, www.cathopic.com/photo/7546-atras-nubes-siempre-esta-sol
Pope from 514-523, successor to St. Symmachus, and father of Pope St. Silverius Born in Frosinone, Campagna di Roma, Italy, he was an Italian, although he had a Persian name. Married and widowed prior to ordination, he succeeded St. Symmachus on July 21, 514. One of his great achievements was the ending of the Acacian Schism which had divided the Eastern and Western Churches since 484. The Church in Constantinople was reunited to Rome in 519 as a result of the confession called the …
The Holy Rosary is one of three Sacramentals that the Blessed Virgin Mary has given to the Holy Catholic Church. In the thirteenth century, Mary gave the Rosary as a powerful weapon to mankind to combat the evils that were in this world as a result of the spiritual battle that is taking place between Satan and God. Since then, the blessings received through this Sacramental are beyond man’s count.
STEP 1: Make the sign of the Cross:
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son
and of …
This probably isn’t the sort of Psalm we expected to hear: “It is I who deal death and give life.” It is not often that our readings cause us to reflect on the vengeance of God, but it’s an important part of our Faith, and one that deserves reflection.
We might be afraid to think about this topic, and for good reason: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31). God has given us all that we are and have, and He can take it away if He sees fit.
Of course, we have no reason to believe that God will exercise His wrath on us at each and every moment. But why does He allow His people to endure such hardship, often for decades on end? Why does He often give them peace by destroying other nations? Is God capricious? Does He enjoy suffering and destruction?
We can begin to understand God better by remembering some simple principles. First of all, He is the Master of life and death, as He confers existence, given as a free gift, on all creation. As the metaphysical source of all life, God has total control over the lives of His creatures. He does not exercise this control in a despotic way, taking over our wills. He lets us make our own decisions, knowing the consequences of every action of every creature throughout all time, before it occurs. He has legitimate authority to exercise His power over life and death if and when He wills, and He freely chooses to let us experience the consequences of our sins, many of which lead to pain, abuse, death, and destruction.
Secondly, we must remember that we deserve eternal death. By our sins, most clearly by Original Sin, we have deserved Hell and its torments, preferring the creature to the Creator, preferring to rule creation alone rather than to submit to and share in God’s benevolent rule. We constantly choose things we know to be contrary to God’s will, forfeiting our heavenly birthright. As God is infinite, our offenses against Him take on all the more weight.
Thirdly, we know that God offers salvation to all who can accept it. He made this clear by His Incarnation and His sacrifice on Calvary, re-presented and available to us in the Mass. Those willing to follow Him can reach heaven by sharing in His own merits. Because of this, our realization that we deserve death is not a reason for self-hatred, but an occasion for wonder at God’s mercy.
We can see that God allows His creation to act in ways which lead to either glory or damnation. He knows full well which actions lead to which, and He allows us to receive what we ultimately choose for ourselves. Along the way, He may intervene directly, as we see in our readings. Perhaps the nations He smites are deep in mortal sin, and will never repent, even if given the opportunity. Perhaps they would choose Hell if left a little longer on earth, but are not yet beyond hope. Perhaps His suffering people need purification and chastisement, or perhaps they are being rewarded for their devotion by greater spiritual trials and triumphs.
Although we might not be able to understand each isolated instance, we can be assured that God is in control and does everything for our good. The Cross showed us that God has a plan for all suffering and destruction, to redeem and sanctify it; every apparent tragedy is meant for good. It is for us to trust in and glorify the Lord, even when He exercises wrath.
Puede ser que el Salmo de hoy no sea lo que esperábamos escuchar: “Yo soy el que traigo la muerte y doy la vida”. No es frecuente que nuestras lecturas nos hagan reflexionar sobre la venganza de Dios, pero es una parte importante de nuestra Fe, y merece reflexión.
Podríamos tener miedo pensar en este tema, y por buena razón: “Horrenda cosa es caer en manos del Dios vivo” (Heb. 10:31). Dios nos ha dado todo lo que somos y tenemos, y puede quitárnoslo si lo considera conveniente.
Por supuesto, no tenemos razón para creer que Dios ejercerá Su ira sobre nosotros en cada momento. Pero, ¿por qué permite que Su pueblo soporte tales dificultades, a veces durante décadas? ¿Por qué con frecuencia les da paz a ellos destruyendo a otras naciones? ¿Dios es caprichoso? ¿Disfruta del sufrimiento y la destrucción?
Podemos comenzar a comprender mejor a Dios si recordamos algunos principios simples. En primer lugar, Él es el Señor de la vida y de la muerte, ya que confiere la existencia, dada gratuitamente, a toda la creación. Como fuente metafísica de toda vida, Dios tiene control total sobre la vida de Sus criaturas. No ejerce este control despóticamente, apoderándose de nuestras voluntades. Él nos permite tomar nuestras propias decisiones, y conoce las consecuencias de cada acción de cada criatura a lo largo de todo el tiempo, antes de que ocurra. Él tiene autoridad legítima para ejercer Su poder sobre la vida y la muerte si Él lo desea y cuando Él lo desea, y elige libremente dejarnos experimentar las consecuencias de nuestros pecados, muchos de los cuales conducen al dolor, el abuso, la muerte y la destrucción.
En segundo lugar, debemos recordar que a causa de nuestros pecados, más claramente por el Pecado Original, merecemos la muerte eterna, el Infierno y sus tormentos, porque prefirimos la criatura al Creador, prefirimos gobernar sola la creación antes que someternos y compartir el gobierno benevolente de Dios. Constantemente elegimos cosas que sabemos que son contrarias a la voluntad de Dios, perdiendo nuestro derecho celestial de nacimiento. Como Dios es infinito, nuestras ofensas contra Él cobran aún más peso.
En tercer lugar, sabemos que Dios ofrece la salvación a todos los que pueden aceptarla. Lo dejó claro con Su Encarnación y Su sacrificio en el Calvario, representado y disponible para nosotros en la Misa. Quienes estén dispuestos a seguirlo pueden llegar al cielo compartiendo Sus propios méritos. Por eso, el hecho de que nos demos cuenta de que merecemos la muerte no es un motivo para odiarnos a nosotros mismos, sino una ocasión para maravillarnos ante la misericordia de Dios.
Podemos ver que Dios permite que Su creación actúe de maneras que conducen a la gloria o a la condenación. Él sabe muy bien cuáles acciones conducen a que cosa y nos permite recibir lo que finalmente elegimos para nosotros. En el camino, Él puede intervenir directamente, como vemos en nuestras lecturas. Quizás las naciones a las que Él hiere están profundamente en pecado mortal, y nunca se arrepentirán, incluso si se les da la oportunidad. Tal vez elegirían el Infierno si se les dejara un poco más en la tierra, pero aún no están más allá de la esperanza. Tal vez Su pueblo sufriente necesite purificación y castigo, o tal vez estén siendo recompensados por su devoción con mayores pruebas y triunfos espirituales.
Aunque es posible que no podamos entender cada caso aislado, podemos estar seguros de que Dios tiene el control y hace todo para nuestro bien. La Cruz nos mostró que Dios tiene un plan para todo sufrimiento y destrucción, para redimirlo y santificarlo; toda tragedia aparente es para bien. Nos corresponde a nosotros confiar en el Señor y glorificarlo, incluso cuando ejerce su ira.
David Dashiell is a freelance author and editor in Nashville, Tennessee. He has a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University, and is the editor of the anthology Ever Ancient, Ever New: Why Younger Generations Are Embracing Traditional Catholicism.
Feature Image Credit: Titi Maciel Pérez, www.cathopic.com/photo/26633-prerando-cenizas