First Reading: Proverbs 3:27-34 Refuse no one the good on which he has a claim when it is in your power to do it for him. Say not to your neighbor, “Go, and come again, tomorrow I will give,” when you can give at once. Plot no evil against your neighbor, against one who lives at peace with you. Quarrel not with a man without cause, with one who has done you no harm. Envy not the lawless man and choose none of his ways: To the LORD the perverse one is an abomination, but with the upright is his friendship. The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses; When dealing with the arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he shows kindness. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 15:2-3A, 3BC-4AB, 5 R. (1) The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord. He who walks blamelessly and does justice; who thinks the truth in his heart and slanders not with his tongue. R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord. Who harms not his fellow man, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor; By whom the reprobate is despised, while he honors those who fear the LORD. R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord. Who lends not his money at usury and accepts no bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be disturbed. R. The just one shall live on your holy mountain, O Lord. Gospel: Luke 8:16-18 Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” NAB I’ve been dreading the month of September for a long, long time. With the turn of the calendar, September brings painful reminders of my miscarriage, my son’s premature birth and the deaths of two beautiful boys from families we adore in our school community. After my miscarriage, I lost count of the times I wanted to tell God to take a hike. I just could not give one more moment of myself. But my subsequent son’s neonatal intensive care unit stay completely changed the hardwiring of my heart. And I believe it was for one reason: to help me survive the next devastating loss in my life, the death of those two boys. That state of grace thing people talk about? It’s real, y’all. Crazy real. The suffering, it was tremendous. But boy did God pour out the grace. It was like the floodgates were opened wide. I’ve never seen anything like it. God was asking an entire community to give at once. Not tomorrow, not next month or next year, but now. I get it. Sometimes giving hurts. It requires you to face your greatest fear. In my case, the death of a child. My view of death was unhealthy, at best. The number of times I cried myself to sleep should not be counted. But through that suffering, through that community, I experienced the vastness of God’s great love and it has changed me. There is so much evil in this world. So much judgment. Yet, when we take the time to enter into the suffering, to grab it and hold it tightly in an embrace, the judgment melts away. The fear subsides, love finds a place, and the evil has no place to hide. [bctt tweet="Let fear subside, let love find a place, and the evil has no place to hide." username="blessedisshe__"] Give big, my sweet sisters. You were born to live a life of service. photo credit Kathryn Whitaker and her husband, Scott, have 6 awesome kids, teen to toddler. She is a former public relations consultant turned freelance graphic designer, party planner, organizer, and preemie advocate who hails from the Lone Star state. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Amos 8:4-7 Hear this, you who trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land! “When will the new moon be over,” you ask, “that we may sell our grain, and the sabbath, that we may display the wheat? We will diminish the ephah, add to the shekel, and fix our scales for cheating! We will buy the lowly for silver, and the poor for a pair of sandals; even the refuse of the wheat we will sell!” The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob: Never will I forget a thing they have done! Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8 R. (cf. 1a, 7b) Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor. Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. Blessed be the name of the LORD both now and forever. R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor. High above all nations is the LORD; above the heavens is his glory. Who is like the LORD, our God, who is enthroned on high and looks upon the heavens and the earth below? R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor. He raises up the lowly from the dust; from the dunghill he lifts up the poor to seat them with princes, with the princes of his own people. R. Praise the Lord who lifts up the poor. Second Reading: 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Beloved: First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior, who wills everyone to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God. There is also one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper time. For this I was appointed preacher and apostle — I am speaking the truth, I am not lying —, teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. Gospel: Luke 16:1-13 Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another the steward said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred kors of wheat.’ The steward said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. “For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. I tell you, make friends for yourselves with dishonest wealth, so that when it fails, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings. The person who is trustworthy in very small matters is also trustworthy in great ones; and the person who is dishonest in very small matters is also dishonest in great ones. If, therefore, you are not trustworthy with dishonest wealth, who will trust you with true wealth? If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours? No servant can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon.” NAB About a month ago I started meeting with a friend once a week to pray. We’re both moms of young children and have felt an increasing spiritual dryness since becoming mothers. So we made a resolution to pray together once a week. We don’t worry about picking up our houses, or preparing refreshments, we just share our struggles and joys and needs, and we pray for them. And you know what? We have had prayers answered! We have had minor health problems clear up, found reliable babysitters, seen improvements in our children’s sleep, experienced less stress about our husband’s jobs and schooling, and most importantly, we have seen our own attitudes changing, and our desires for God increase. We are praying, and the Lord is hearing us. Even when it doesn't feel like our prayers are answered how we wanted them to be, we are seeing God's grace working in those times, too. The First Reading today points out corruption aimed at the poor and vulnerable. We see plenty of that today with the persecution of brothers and sisters around the world, poverty, abortion, and an increase of violence. In the Gospel we hear the parable of the dishonest steward, who used his talents and resources to ensure his material comfort. This reminds me of another problem in our society. We place so much value on amassing wealth and things. The idea that I should be anything other than super happy and extremely comfortable is absurd. So what do we do in the face of all this corruption and selfishness? The answer is in the Second Reading, where we are called to pray. It is my wish, then, that in every place the men should pray. And we’re not just called to pray for the little things. Saint Paul was urging the early Church to pray for kings and leaders as well. Big stuff! What if we prayed every day for the big problems in our world? And what if we took the energy and determination of the dishonest steward and applied it to our pursuit of holiness and justice? What kind of changes might we see? Prayer is a powerful tool, but you have to use it for it to be effective! If God is listening to my prayers for a few extra hours of sleep, surely He is listening to our prayers for the world too. [bctt tweet="Prayer is a powerful tool, but you have to use it for it to be effective." username="blessedisshe__"] Do you have a good habit of prayer? If not, start by setting aside one morning or evening a week for prayer. Invite a friend to join you for some extra accountability. photo by Corynne Olivia Anna Coyne is a wife, mother, musician, knitter, gardener, and convert to the Catholic faith. Read more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-49 Brothers and sisters: Someone may say, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come back?” You fool! What you sow is not brought to life unless it dies. And what you sow is not the body that is to be but a bare kernel of wheat, perhaps, or of some other kind. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown corruptible; it is raised incorruptible. It is sown dishonorable; it is raised glorious. It is sown weak; it is raised powerful. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual one. So, too, it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living being,” the last Adam a life-giving spirit. But the spiritual was not first; rather the natural and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, earthly; the second man, from heaven. As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly. Just as we have borne the image of the earthly one, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 56:10C-12, 13-14 R. (14) I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living. Now I know that God is with me. In God, in whose promise I glory, in God I trust without fear; what can flesh do against me? R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living. I am bound, O God, by vows to you; your thank offerings I will fulfill. For you have rescued me from death, my feet, too, from stumbling; that I may walk before God in the light of the living. R. I will walk in the presence of God, in the light of the living. Gospel: Luke 8:4-15 When a large crowd gathered, with people from one town after another journeying to Jesus, he spoke in a parable. “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path and was trampled, and the birds of the sky ate it up. Some seed fell on rocky ground, and when it grew, it withered for lack of moisture. Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. And some seed fell on good soil, and when it grew, it produced fruit a hundredfold.” After saying this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” Then his disciples asked him what the meaning of this parable might be. He answered, “Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand. “This is the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. Those on the path are the ones who have heard, but the Devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts that they may not believe and be saved. Those on rocky ground are the ones who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, but they have no root; they believe only for a time and fall away in time of temptation. As for the seed that fell among thorns, they are the ones who have heard, but as they go along, they are choked by the anxieties and riches and pleasures of life, and they fail to produce mature fruit. But as for the seed that fell on rich soil, they are the ones who, when they have heard the word, embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance.” NAB It’s one of the only times we see Jesus fully explain a parable in the Gospels, and it says He did so because the disciples asked Him what He meant by the story. Jesus answers directly, succinctly, about the meaning of the parable. The seed is the word of God. And there are four kinds of people who receive it, the ones who have it stolen away by the Devil, the ones who have no roots, the ones who allow it to be choked out, and the ones who embrace it and bear fruit. I remember countless skits, songs, on lessons about this parable throughout my youth group years in Catholic circles. I remember praying desperately to be good soil. But in those years, I absorbed the mentality that we were only one type of soil, and I longed desperately to be good soil. Searching for signs of my own fruitfulness, I looked for the “good girl” litmus test that would show up positive and give me certain proof that I was indeed, “generous” and of “a good heart” and bearing fruit. I desperately longed for holiness, and I wanted to be a saint in no small measure. But I wanted to be all-or-nothing good soil and I wanted to-be-now-and-forever amen. Reading this parable again today, I can see how my one beating heart has different pieces and parts that are all of these soils. In some parts, the word of God has taken root, matured, and is bearing good fruit. In other places, it is still being choked out by my concerns. In still others, the Devil still has access to in my heart and robs of the good God has planted there. Where once I would have been horrified at that reality and set to work frantically tearing up the messy parts of my heart to replant in good soil, I now embrace the tension of my mixed-up heart. I invite Jesus into my contradictions rather than trying to quickly and ashamedly trying to patch them. I tend my heart garden with the purposeful pursuit of a fruitful God-given life. I till away at the unfertile places with steady devotion more than impatience these days. And I think, maybe, this is a fruit of its own, the knowing how to return to the story and ask again what does it mean and the trying again to lie it anew. [bctt tweet="How's the garden of your heart today? // @colleencmitch" username="blessedisshe__"] How's the garden of your heart today? Let us be realistic and face our shortcomings so we can ask Our Lord for help and healing, sisters. photo credit Colleen Mitchell is wife to Greg and mother to five amazing sons here on earth. They serve in Costa Rica where they run the St. Francis Emmaus Center, a ministry that welcomes indigenous mothers into their home to provide them access to medical care, support and education in the weeks before and after the birth of a child. Find out more about her here.

Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs First Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 Brothers and sisters: If Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some among you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then neither has Christ been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then empty too is our preaching; empty, too, your faith. Then we are also false witnesses to God, because we testified against God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 17:1BCD, 6-7, 8B AND 15 R. (15b) Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. Hear, O LORD, a just suit; attend to my outcry; hearken to my prayer from lips without deceit. R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my word. Show your wondrous mercies, O savior of those who flee from their foes to refuge at your right hand. R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. Hide me in the shadow of your wings, But I in justice shall behold your face; on waking, I shall be content in your presence. R. Lord, when your glory appears, my joy will be full. Gospel: Luke 8:1-3 Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another, preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God. Accompanying him were the Twelve and some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources. NAB The Gospel is short today, and at first glance, kind of boring? (Sorry, Saint Luke! Promise I'm getting there . . . . ) Aside from the shocking revelation of the seven demons who had gone out from Mary Magdalene, it appears to be merely a brief detail about where Jesus was going and who He was going there with. What's interesting, to me, in this moment, is the very last line. Saint Luke mentions that these women, who had been miraculously cured of illness of body and soul by Our Lord, were dedicating their resources to the advancement of His mission. This shows us, then, that the natural response to an encounter with Jesus, an encounter that leaves us forever changed and forever saved, should result in the free offering of our entire lives to Him and His Kingdom. Every piece of our lives: our hearts, our time, our gifts, and our material resources. Can we take it a step further? We live in a time when false feminist ideals claim that equality = exact sameness in all things. As a result, Christianity is often scoffed at for being "purely patriarchal" or "anti-female." I find it intriguing, then, that the God of the universe found women strong, capable, and worthy enough to be charged with caring for His earthly needs during the most pivotal moments of His public ministry. The women "provided for them out of their resources," meaning Jesus and His Apostles relied on them. These women who had been so radically transformed by the truth and beauty of Christ were entrusted with advancing His Kingdom, too. Jesus relied on them in legitimate ways that can only lead to a conclusion of His confidence in them. Although we all serve the Kingdom in different capacities, we are all of utmost significance. [bctt tweet="Although we all serve the Kingdom in different capacities, we are all of utmost significance." username="blessedisshe__"] Today, let's remember that we serve a monumental purpose. As Catholics, may our encounters with Jesus lead us to dedicate our whole selves to Him. As Catholic women, may we take our roles in the advancement of the Kingdom of God as seriously as Jesus does. photo credit Olivia Spears is a middle school religion teacher turned SAHM who is married to her high school best friend. You can find out more about her here.

Feast of the Exultation of the Holy Cross First Reading: Nehemiah 21:4B-9 With their patience worn out by the journey, the people complained against God and Moses, “Why have you brought us up from Egypt to die in this desert, where there is no food or water? We are disgusted with this wretched food!” In punishment the LORD sent among the people saraph serpents, which bit the people so that many of them died. Then the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned in complaining against the LORD and you. Pray the LORD to take the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people, and the LORD said to Moses, “Make a saraph and mount it on a pole, and if any who have been bitten look at it, they will live.” Moses accordingly made a bronze serpent and mounted it on a pole, and whenever anyone who had been bitten by a serpent looked at the bronze serpent, he lived. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 78:1BC-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38 R. (see 7b) Do not forget the works of the Lord! Hearken, my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable, I will utter mysteries from of old. R. Do not forget the works of the Lord! While he slew them they sought him and inquired after God again, Remembering that God was their rock and the Most High God, their redeemer. R. Do not forget the works of the Lord! But they flattered him with their mouths and lied to him with their tongues, Though their hearts were not steadfast toward him, nor were they faithful to his covenant. R. Do not forget the works of the Lord! But he, being merciful, forgave their sin and destroyed them not; Often he turned back his anger and let none of his wrath be roused. R. Do not forget the works of the Lord! Second Reading: Philippians 2:6-11 Brothers and sisters: Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Gospel: John 3:13-17 Jesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. NAB Today is the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, a feast that is a true paradox. Here we are exalting in the cross that killed our Lord, we are celebrating an instrument of torture on which our Saviour suffered and died. Yet it is precisely because of the cross that death and suffering no longer have the final word. We celebrate the cross because it is exactly through the cross that we have been provided salvation and redemption. It took Christ's extreme and complete sacrifice on the cross to open the gates of Heaven to us, to allow the graces of Heaven to flow through the Church. It is in the cross that we see the wideness and fullness of God's love for us. God's love for us is shown so completely, and now for us to exalt in this cross means to live in that love. Pope Benedict XVI's words on the power of today's feast are beautiful to ponder: "The sign of the Cross is a kind synthesis of our faith, for it tells how much God loves us; it tells us that there is a love in this world that is stronger than death, stronger than our weaknesses and sins. The power of love is stronger than the evil which threatens us." (Homily at Lourdes, 2008) It is in this powerful contradiction that is the very crux of our faith. Christ's death on the cross has become the greatest sign of God's unconditional love for us, it has given us the Resurrection. And in this paradox we exalt. [bctt tweet="It is because of the cross that death and suffering no longer have the final word." username="blessedisshe__"] Through the cross Christ has shown His limitless love for each of us. His love changes who we are, let His love change our hearts and minds today. photo credit Christy Isinger is the mom to five lovely, loud children living in the Canadian wilds. You can find out more about her here.

Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor of the Church First Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 27-31A Brothers and sisters: As a body is one though it has many parts, and all the parts of the body, though many, are one body, so also Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one Body, whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free persons, and we were all given to drink of one Spirit. Now the body is not a single part, but many. Now you are Christ’s Body, and individually parts of it. Some people God has designated in the Church to be, first, Apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all Apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 100:1B-2, 3, 4, 5 R. (3) We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful song. R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are; his people, the flock he tends. R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, his courts with praise; Give thanks to him; bless his name. R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock. For he is good, the LORD, whose kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness, to all generations. R. We are his people: the sheep of his flock. Gospel: Luke 7:11-17 Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, “A great prophet has arisen in our midst,” and “God has visited his people.” This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region. NAB I am writing in the midst of a Midwest road trip: eighteen hours of car travel through southwest Minnesota and the achingly beautiful Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota. With me are four companions—good and holy young adults who, for the most part, are acquaintances that I am still getting to know. Together we are learning to balance on the delicate ropes of community: sleeping all cozy-like in our tents; sharing in the communal chores of camp set-up and take-down; offering our humble skills in the realm of rustic meal prep (cue the mud, wind, and rain); learning to be sensitive to whether or not our fellow companions are morning people; and so on. Added to the above challenges is perhaps the most important: simply being present to the reality that God brought these representatives of the Body of Christ on this camping trip, for a reason. Trips like these aren't always easy for my introverted, INFJ, mostly melancholic self. I know I am part of a much larger, beautiful Body of Christ, but sometimes I just want to climb up somewhere quiet in these hills and just not engage with the rest of the Body. Does this ever happen to you in your home, or church, or workplace? To a certain point that desire to "get away" seems well and good. Jesus sought solitude. We need it, too. Like right now, as I sit writing this reflection, on the floor of a quiet church foyer, watching a most magnificent hailstorm in the heart of South Dakota. But when the desire for solitude and quiet is overshadowed by a selfish desire to deny the goodness and frailty of my relationships in the Body of Christ, I've lost out. Too focused on my own particular needs, I'm blind to the unique gifts, challenges, and needs of those around me. In the process, my family, friends, and co-workers lose out, too. [bctt tweet="Let's seek to engage, sift out, and uncover others' gifts for all the world to see." username="blessedisshe__"] May we see with greatest clarity today, the unique and unrepeatable nature of those who are in our lives. May we acknowledge that these members of the Body of Christ are most assuredly in our lives for a particular reason. May we seek to engage, sift out, and uncover their gifts for all the world to see. Karen Schultz is a Birth Doula who hails from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, where she is often found in or near one of them. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 11:17-26, 33 Brothers and sisters: In giving this instruction, I do not praise the fact that your meetings are doing more harm than good. First of all, I hear that when you meet as a Church there are divisions among you, and to a degree I believe it; there have to be factions among you in order that also those who are approved among you may become known. When you meet in one place, then, it is not to eat the Lord’s supper, for in eating, each one goes ahead with his own supper, and one goes hungry while another gets drunk. Do you not have houses in which you can eat and drink? Or do you show contempt for the Church of God and make those who have nothing feel ashamed? What can I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this matter I do not praise you. For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over, took bread and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my Body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my Blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:7-8A, 8B-9, 10, 17 R. (1 Cor 11:26b) Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again. Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin offerings you sought not; then said I, “Behold I come.” R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again. “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me, To do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again. I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again. May all who seek you exult and be glad in you And may those who love your salvation say ever, “The LORD be glorified.” R. Proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes again. Gospel: Luke 7:1-10 When Jesus had finished all his words to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was ill and about to die, and he was valuable to him. When he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and save the life of his slave. They approached Jesus and strongly urged him to come, saying, “He deserves to have you do this for him, for he loves our nation and he built the synagogue for us.” And Jesus went with them, but when he was only a short distance from the house, the centurion sent friends to tell him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. Therefore, I did not consider myself worthy to come to you; but say the word and let my servant be healed. For I too am a person subject to authority, with soldiers subject to me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come here,’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him and, turning, said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” When the messengers returned to the house, they found the slave in good health. NAB Growing up, I remember receiving phone calls at home from time to time that unexpected guests wanted to stop-in for a quick visit. Upon hanging up, my mom would rush to tidy the house. Mind you, my mom has always kept one of the cleanest homes I’ve been in, but there was just something about knowing someone was coming unexpectedly that sent her (and therefore, us) into a whirlwind of cleaning everything in sight. Then, thirty minutes later, when the knock on the door came, I don’t know if she really felt better about the condition of the home or just a bit more frazzled. As I child, my thought was, “They don’t even care what our home looks like” as I moped around with these new chores to complete. I vowed I’d never do that . . . but guess where I am today? I have become my mother. I want my home to look as if five young children don’t live here. I want my home to feel worthy of the guests’ presence. Deep down, I have a feeling I also don’t want to be measured by the cleanliness of my home. It’s my pride, and I want to have it all together. In all of this talk about my earthly home, it’s really the state of my interior home . . . the one in which I house Christ . . . that matters. In today’s Gospel, the Centurion calls out, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof. BUT! If He but says the word, his servant shall be healed. He knows the power of Christ, yet in his shame, he cannot bear to have Him in his home. Every Sunday (or vigil), every Mass, we utter these words before Christ enters our bodies through the Holy Eucharist: “Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.” My soul. Our souls. Christ’s healing power is unimaginable. Whatever it is we are facing, whatever torments us, whatever is keeping Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts rather than entering, know that He can heal all. And, He will. [bctt tweet="He can heal all. And He will. // @thefiskfiles" username="blessedisshe__"] Regardless of how hard we try, we will never be truly worthy of Him. But we don’t have to be—that’s where He comes in—to heal, to love and to dwell within our interior homes. Will you let Him in? photo credit Britt Fisk is the wife of Jeremy and mother of five young kids. She spends her days living simply in the-middle-of-nowhere-New Mexico helping with the family beef cattle operation. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Exodus 32:7-11, 13-14 The LORD said to Moses, “Go down at once to your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, for they have become depraved. They have soon turned aside from the way I pointed out to them, making for themselves a molten calf and worshiping it, sacrificing to it and crying out, ‘This is your God, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ “I see how stiff-necked this people is, ” continued the LORD to Moses. Let me alone, then, that my wrath may blaze up against them to consume them. Then I will make of you a great nation.” But Moses implored the LORD, his God, saying, “Why, O LORD, should your wrath blaze up against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with such great power and with so strong a hand? Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and how you swore to them by your own self, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky; and all this land that I promised, I will give your descendants as their perpetual heritage.’” So the LORD relented in the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 51:3-4, 12-13, 17, 19 R. (Lk 15:18) I will rise and go to my father. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me. R. I will rise and go to my father. A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me. Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me. R. I will rise and go to my father. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise. My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit; a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. R. I will rise and go to my father. Second Reading: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 Beloved: I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry. I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant, but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance in my unbelief. Indeed, the grace of our Lord has been abundant, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. This saying is trustworthy and deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Of these I am the foremost. But for that reason I was mercifully treated, so that in me, as the foremost, Christ Jesus might display all his patience as an example for those who would come to believe in him for everlasting life. To the king of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Gospel: Luke 15:1-32 Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them he addressed this parable. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance. “Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Then he said, “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns, who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’” NAB Lord, our world reels and cries out in anguish at the evils and pain plaguing our lives and our news cycles like a disease that has no cure. Some days it is all too easy to focus on the heartache and lose sight of your love for us. Open our eyes and hearts to not only remember, but experience, the beautiful fact that your love and grace are abundant. Let us be renewed in the promise of your mercy, the hope of the Resurrection, and the strength to live your grace. Amen. Sisters, do not be afraid. Do not become discouraged. These readings remind us that "the grace of our Lord has been abundant" and remains abundant. Maybe we are like Saint Paul who has experienced or the Prodigal Son who needs to experience again the incredible healing and renewing power of God's love and forgiveness. Maybe we feel like the other begrudging child, the one who didn't leave his father. Perhaps we need to remember that the Father says, my Daughter, you are here with me always and everything I have is yours. No matter who you identify with most in these beautiful readings, I pray you will take away this most important and beautiful truth: Everything I have is yours. Everything. All God's love. All God's grace. All God's hope. It is yours. He loves you, always. This is the message I am moved by, the message of hope and unending mercy. The message of rejoicing in every person, every soul who turns to Him in trust. In the "greatness of {his} compassion," the Lord waits for us to return to Him, so He can pour His abundant mercy over us. [bctt tweet="Sisters, do not be afraid. Do not become discouraged." username="blessedisshe__"] How are you viewing the world's suffering today? Are you struggling to see and experience the abundant love and grace of Our Lord? Ask and believe it will come. photo credit Gina Fensterer is a wife, daughter, mother, friend, homeschooling mama, and Colorado native. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 My beloved ones, avoid idolatry. I am speaking as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I am saying. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the Blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the Body of Christ? Because the loaf of bread is one, we, though many, are one Body, for we all partake of the one loaf. Look at Israel according to the flesh; are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? So what am I saying? That meat sacrificed to idols is anything? Or that an idol is anything? No, I mean that what they sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to become participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and also the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and of the table of demons. Or are we provoking the Lord to jealous anger? Are we stronger than him? Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 17-18 R. (17) To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. How shall I make a return to the LORD for all the good he has done for me? The cup of salvation I will take up, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving, and I will call upon the name of the LORD. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. Gospel: Luke 6:43-49 Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.” NAB I do not know about you, but today’s Gospel shook me to my roots. Get it? (Bad mom hair joke.) But it did get me to thinking about my roots and where I have laid my foundation of faith. Like many of you, it’s been a process. I grew up in the Church. I spent my childhood attending Sunday Mass and all my friends were in CCD. I dutifully checked off the Sacraments. In childhood, my little growing roots were tethered to my parents’ deep roots. Where they went, I followed. They helped me lay my faith foundation through their own examples. And I am eternally grateful for them. Then I went to college and I had to figure out some things on my own. My foundation of faith, so closely tied to my home life, was shaken. I was starting to bear some pretty rotten fruit. Why go to church every week when no one was “making me”? After a long Saturday night of partying, I did not have to wake up on Sunday ready to go to Mass. I fell away from many aspects of my faith—the outward expressions mostly. I still had faith in my heart, but did I act on it? Not so much. (Please tell me I am not the only one who has been through this phase.) Some years ago, after a period of lukewarm inner faith and lack-luster outer faith, I decided to do something about it. I completely dug up and tossed out my weak roots and tended to, grew, and am living out, deep, strong roots. What I have come to find is that this process is never really complete. I have to constantly check on my growth and health of these roots. It’s not just about planting the trees or laying the ground work and walking away. After I’ve been shaken, after I’ve been tested, after life offers so many moments to weaken and abandon these roots, I have to check on them. I have to be an active participant in my faith. I am finding joy in the journey. I am finding purpose in the process. [bctt tweet="I am finding joy in the journey. I am finding purpose in the process. // @substance_soul" username="blessedisshe__"] Our faith life needs tending to and we can't neglect it. What's feeding your growing roots today? Do you have a close family member or friend who checks in with you about your spiritual health? Are you honest with yourself about your progress? photo credit Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife, mom, and dentist currently living in the Bay Area, California. You can find out more about her here.

Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest First Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22B-27 Brothers and sisters: If I preach the Gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it! If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the Gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the Gospel. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. I have become all things to all, to save at least some. All this I do for the sake of the Gospel, so that I too may have a share in it. Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win. Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 84:3, 4, 5-6, 12 R. (2) How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God! My soul yearns and pines for the courts of the LORD. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God. R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God! Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest in which she puts her young— Your altars, O LORD of hosts, my king and my God! R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God! Blessed they who dwell in your house! continually they praise you. Blessed the men whose strength you are! their hearts are set upon the pilgrimage. R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God! For a sun and a shield is the LORD God; grace and glory he bestows; The LORD withholds no good thing from those who walk in sincerity. R. How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord, mighty God! Gospel: Luke 6:39-42 Jesus told his disciples a parable: “Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? No disciple is superior to the teacher; but when fully trained, every disciple will be like his teacher. Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother’s eye.” NAB I battled a terrible habit for years in my early marriage. I am what you might term a recovering "Holy Hannah." That is to say, that I would present one side of my life to people and then judge them and their choices behind their back. If I thought the grievance was bad enough, I would even point it out to them, suggesting ways to help them but always under the cover of “fraternal correction.” Today's readings brought forth a flood of memories for me from my early years as a wife and mother. It hit way too close to home. I instantly felt such sadness over the lost friendships and awkward moments that the wooden plank in my eye caused me then. Everything came to a head one day when the tables were turned and someone close to me, pointed out my splinter. I was aghast, insulted, and deeply hurt. I ended my friendship with this woman then and there and was despondent over the humiliation and rejection I had just suffered. Forgetting that I had been acting in the same vein for years, Holy Hannah was not going down without a fight. I discussed it with my husband that night and he simply said, “Maybe you should figure out your own life before telling others what to do with theirs.” I was stunned. I had no idea that he felt that way and it really set me back. I spent the next several months on a kind of spiritual journey, looking into my heart, working through the reasons I had arrived in this horrible place of judgment and non-acceptance of others. What I discovered about myself was not pretty. I had allowed my own fear of being rejected to take over and crowd out my empathy and acceptance of others in all their uniqueness. It took some time for me to turn things around. Years actually. I fell on my face more times than I care to admit, but I thank God every day for His patience with me during that time. I have learned that giving in to fear leads me away from God. It creates tunnel-vision within my heart and takes away my ability to see clearly and celebrate those willing to bear their true selves to the world without fear or hesitation. Today I no longer point out the splinters in others because I am still chipping away at my own plank. I have discovered that God loves me just as I am and there is no need to be unkind to others in order to make myself feel better. I no longer desire to stand above others, but now seek to encourage and accompany my sisters in Christ as we run together toward Heaven in all its glory. [bctt tweet="I no longer point out the splinters in others because I am still chipping away at my own plank." username="blessedisshe__"] Is there someone in your life that needs encouragement instead of judgment? Reach out to them and let them know they are not alone in this journey. photo credit Mary Lenaburg married her first (and only) blind date going on 28 years, is a full-time liturgist, and parents one adult son navigating his path on earth and a special needs daughter safely in Heaven. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Micah 5:1-4a The LORD says: You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah, too small to be among the clans of Judah, From you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel; Whose origin is from of old, from ancient times. (Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the time when she who is to give birth has borne, And the rest of his brethren shall return to the children of Israel.) He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the LORD, in the majestic name of the LORD, his God; And they shall remain, for now his greatness shall reach to the ends of the earth; he shall be peace. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 13:6ab, 6c R. (Isaiah 61:10) With delight I rejoice in the Lord. Though I trusted in your mercy, let my heart rejoice in your salvation. R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord. Let me sing of the LORD, “He has been good to me.” R. With delight I rejoice in the Lord. Gospel: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 The Book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. Abraham became the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers. Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar. Perez became the father of Hezron, Hezron the father of Ram, Ram the father of Amminadab. Amminadab became the father of Nahshon, Nahshon the father of Salmon, Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab. Boaz became the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth. Obed became the father of Jesse, Jesse the father of David the king. David became the father of Solomon, whose mother had been the wife of Uriah. Solomon became the father of Rehoboam, Rehoboam the father of Abijah, Abijah the father of Asaph. Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, Joram the father of Uzziah. Uzziah became the father of Jotham, Jotham the father of Ahaz, Ahaz the father of Hezekiah. Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh, Manasseh the father of Amos, Amos the father of Josiah. Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothers at the time of the Babylonian exile. After the Babylonian exile, Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud. Abiud became the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok. Zadok became the father of Achim, Achim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar. Eleazar became the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary. Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ. Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” NAB Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. God is the best storyteller. Like any good Father, the story He’s been telling is one full of action, adventure, drama and intrigue. In today’s Gospel, we get the shorthand version of it when we read the genealogy of Jesus. Saint Matthew recaps generations of major players in the grand story of our salvation, culminating with the birth of Christ. The story picks up in a nowhere village and stars a young Hebrew virgin and her betrothed the future Saint Joseph. Admist all the stories of the men and women who cooperated with the Divine Author, hers is the most mysterious, the most beautiful. It is in the Blessed Virgin Mary’s story—Mary’s yes—that God’s great story reaches its crescendo. Mary’s life was exceptional because she lived in utter surrender to the will of the Father. She told God’s story with her life. His story was her story. The same invitation is being extended to us today. Will we surrender our imagined storyline to a God who is immensely creative with His? A Father who uses the most unlikely of characters and impossible circumstances in the course of an ordinary life to tell a far greater story than the one we line up for ourselves? I used to be afraid of that story, the one I naively believed God would tell if I gave Him the okay to have His way in my life. But the closer I come to Him, the more concretely I discover that my fears are unfounded. As I spend time with Jesus in Adoration, or sit on the lap of the God the Father in imaginative prayer, or glimpse the action of the Holy Spirit in my everyday life, I learn that He can be trusted. And I know that the story He’s waiting to tell with my life will be infinitely more than the one I can arrange for myself. [bctt tweet="Will we surrender our imagined storyline to a God who is immensely creative with His?" username="blessedisshe__"] Using your Catholic imagination, sit with Jesus and show Him your story—past memories, present needs and future hopes. Ask Him to redeem each of them as they come and to help you trust Him with your story. photo credit Beth Davis is a lover of Jesus, an aunt to five beautiful humans, and a full time youth minister in Flagstaff, Arizona. She is passionate about winning the hearts of young people for Jesus through discipleship. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 Brothers and sisters: In regard to virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord, but I give my opinion as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. So this is what I think best because of the present distress: that it is a good thing for a person to remain as he is. Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek a separation. Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife. If you marry, however, you do not sin, nor does an unmarried woman sin if she marries; but such people will experience affliction in their earthly life, and I would like to spare you that. I tell you, brothers, the time is running out. From now on, let those having wives act as not having them, those weeping as not weeping, those rejoicing as not rejoicing, those buying as not owning, those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 45:11-12, 14-15, 16-17 R. (11) Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear. Hear, O daughter, and see; turn your ear, forget your people and your father’s house. So shall the king desire your beauty; for he is your lord, and you must worship him. R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear. All glorious is the king’s daughter as she enters; her raiment is threaded with spun gold. In embroidered apparel she is borne in to the king; behind her the virgins of her train are brought to you. R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear. They are borne in with gladness and joy; they enter the palace of the king. The place of your fathers your sons shall have; you shall make them princes through all the land. R. Listen to me, daughter; see and bend your ear. Gospel: Luke 6:20-26 Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. For their ancestors treated the prophets in the same way. But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. But woe to you who are filled now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will grieve and weep. Woe to you when all speak well of you, for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.” NAB Sometimes I read the first phrase or so of the day’s Gospel and think, “Oh—this Gospel again. I know this one!” It’s sort of alarming how easily I can skip over words and brush past verses, not really allowing His Word to soak into my soul. Embarrassingly, I admit that sometimes I take His sacred words for granted. Today’s Gospel is one of those familiar texts that I could be tempted to gloss over without truly hearing what the Lord is saying: Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, the excluded, the insulted, the denounced. I’ve read—and heard—these words countless times. I bet you have, too. So, how do I actively attend to what God is trying to teach me through His Word? It may sound silly, but I RAP while I read. No, I’m not talking about some sort of holy beatboxing—stay with me! Before jumping in to Scripture, I make a practice of doing the following: Remember that God’s word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and it doesn’t return without accomplishing its task (Isaiah 55:11); Ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten my heart and mind so that I may have ears to hear and a mind to understand what I’m reading; and Ponder or meditate over the words slowly and deliberately, pausing to pray if something in particular strikes me as I’m reading. It’s not quite Lectio Divina (an ancient method used to prayerfully read the Scriptures), but RAP helps me apply Bible passages to my own crazy existence. Today, I am greatly encouraged by Jesus’ words. They remind me that although we are living in this world, we are not supposed to be of it. We are supposed to be in and of Him. And that isn’t easy, considering our fallen nature and the new crop of temptations and diversions that constantly threaten to pull us away from Jesus’s call. When we live the paradoxical, counter-cultural realities of Christianity, however, we are promised fruit that remains. In Him—and not in the world—we are ultimately satisfied. In Him, we rejoice and leap for joy. The Kingdom of God is ours through Jesus. Let’s continue to feed on the Word as we journey this road with Him. [bctt tweet="In Him—and not in the world—we are ultimately satisfied. // @realcatholicmom" username="blessedisshe__"] Return to today’s Gospel and “RAP” your way through it—how is God speaking to your heart? Thank Him for the precious gift of His Word. Heather Renshaw is a writer, speaker, and uplifter on a mission to love and serve God with her husband and five children in the Pacific NW. You can learn more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 Brothers and sisters: How can any one of you with a case against another dare to bring it to the unjust for judgment instead of to the holy ones? Do you not know that the holy ones will judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you unqualified for the lowest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Then why not everyday matters? If, therefore, you have courts for everyday matters, do you seat as judges people of no standing in the Church? I say this to shame you. Can it be that there is not one among you wise enough to be able to settle a case between brothers? But rather brother goes to court against brother, and that before unbelievers? Now indeed then it is, in any case, a failure on your part that you have lawsuits against one another. Why not rather put up with injustice? Why not rather let yourselves be cheated? Instead, you inflict injustice and cheat, and this to brothers. Do you not know that the unjust will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor boy prostitutes nor sodomites nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor robbers will inherit the Kingdom of God. That is what some of you used to be; but now you have had yourselves washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1B-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B R. (see 4) The Lord takes delight in his people. Sing to the LORD a new song of praise in the assembly of the faithful. Let Israel be glad in their maker, let the children of Zion rejoice in their king. R. The Lord takes delight in his people. Let them praise his name in the festive dance, let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp. For the LORD loves his people, and he adorns the lowly with victory. R. The Lord takes delight in his people. Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their couches; Let the high praises of God be in their throats. This is the glory of all his faithful. Alleluia. R. The Lord takes delight in his people. Gospel: Luke 6:12-19 Jesus departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground. A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured. Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him because power came forth from him and healed them all. NAB In today's First Reading Saint Paul reminds the Corinthians of what they were but no longer are, calling them by their sins: fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, thieves, greedy, drunkards, slanderers, and more. He then tells us that as followers of Christ we were washed, sanctified, justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are no longer to be known by our sins. It's interesting, then, that Saint Luke calls the Apostles by their names yet one is still named with his sin: Judas the traitor. It is important to be saved, to turn from sin, and to accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. But this is not a one-time event, done and done forever. While it begins with our acceptance of God's grace at Baptism, we must every day in the face of every temptation and sin commit and recommit ourselves to Christ through a daily acceptance of God's grace. While our acceptance of God's salvation is a personal act, it cannot be done without the promptings of grace and cannot continue without grace. As Catholics we do not believe in "once saved, always saved." Instead we believe that we were saved when Christ died for us on the cross, "by his stripes we are healed." (Is 53:5.) We believe that we are being saved as every day brings a new opportunity to know, serve, and love God with our whole hearts, minds, and bodies. We confess and repent when necessary and repeatedly making the choice to turn towards God or away from Him. And we will be saved at the final judgement when Jesus will separate the saved and the damned. (Mt 25:31-46.) Salvation, mercy, and forgiveness are always available to us but we still must make the actual choice to follow God. We have the choice to be known by our sin or to be washed clean, sanctified, and justified by the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been saved. We are being saved. We will be saved. Live your life so that Jesus will call your name and not your sin. [bctt tweet="We have the choice to be known by our sin or to be washed clean and justified by Jesus." username="blessedisshe__"] Are you making a conscious effort to be closer to God and live a more holy life as best you can daily? How can what you choose today bring you closer to God? photo credit Bonnie Engstrom is a writer, baker, speaker and homemaker. She lives with her husband and five children in central Illinois. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 Brothers and sisters: It is widely reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of a kind not found even among pagans– a man living with his father’s wife. And you are inflated with pride. Should you not rather have been sorrowful? The one who did this deed should be expelled from your midst. I, for my part, although absent in body but present in spirit, have already, as if present, pronounced judgment on the one who has committed this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus: when you have gathered together and I am with you in spirit with the power of the Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. Your boasting is not appropriate. Do you not know that a little yeast leavens all the dough? Clear out the old yeast, so that you may become a fresh batch of dough, inasmuch as you are unleavened. For our Paschal Lamb, Christ, has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 5:5-6, 7, 12 R. (9) Lead me in your justice, Lord. For you, O God, delight not in wickedness; no evil man remains with you; the arrogant may not stand in your sight. You hate all evildoers. R. Lead me in your justice, Lord. You destroy all who speak falsehood; The bloodthirsty and the deceitful the LORD abhors. R. Lead me in your justice, Lord. But let all who take refuge in you be glad and exult forever. Protect them, that you may be the joy of those who love your name. R. Lead me in your justice, Lord. Gospel: Luke 6:6-11 On a certain sabbath Jesus went into the synagogue and taught, and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. The scribes and the Pharisees watched him closely to see if he would cure on the sabbath so that they might discover a reason to accuse him. But he realized their intentions and said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up and stand before us.” And he rose and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” Looking around at them all, he then said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so and his hand was restored. But they became enraged and discussed together what they might do to Jesus. NAB "Do you want to catch the baby?" My mind was racing to understand. "Oh, do I want to hold the baby? Absolutely! What is her name?" "Roja. But sometimes we just call her our little coconut." I took her frail body into my arms. Roja is who I remember when I hear Gospel passages about Jesus healing the lame. Several years ago, I visited an orphanage in India run by Mother Teresa's sisters. When I saw Roja—the smallest child in the room, lying alone in her crib, wearing a sweet pink dress—I immediately asked to hold her. Everyone else continued on the tour; I stayed with Roja. I desired to comfort her pain and nurture the frail life within her. I couldn't give her very much—simply a safe place to rest, some water to drink, a sweet lullaby, and my prayers. It was a grace to serve the poorest of the poor with these Missionaries of Charity. Nineteen years ago today, the world mourned the death of Mother Teresa. Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, who was canonized yesterday in Rome by Pope Francis. What a gift! Saint Teresa of Calcutta is a Saint who experienced both the consoling love of the Heart of Jesus and the desolating pain of His silence. I think that I have tasted a small piece of this in my own spiritual life. Haven't we all? There are times when I know confidently that He has chosen me, and other moments where I feel forgotten. Sometimes there is deep joy and other days are, well, a lot less glamorous. When I listen to Saint Paul's exhortation to celebrate the Resurrection "with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth," I am challenged in my prayer to be brutally honest in examining my thoughts, feelings, and desires, throwing off all that hinders me from drawing nearer to His heart. I am not very good at this. I grew up in a family where we learned not to complain. My grandma even has a sign in her kitchen which says "Thou Shalt Not Whine!" I am a bit ashamed when my prayer sounds like Jesus' cry from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" This is where we can ask for Saint Teresa of Calcutta's intercession. She authentically expressed her whole heart to God, both when she was peaceful like Roja, in the arms of love, and also when she was confused in the darkness. [bctt tweet="Throw off all that hinders you from drawing nearer to His heart." username="blessedisshe__"] Saint Teresa of Calcutta, teach us to take refuge in arms of the Father, so that we might be glad and exult with you forever! Rose Coleman is a contemplative in action who delights in all things beautiful. Her adventurous heart has traveled many places—from circumnavigating the globe on a ship during college to some years in the convent as a religious sister. Exuberant from her childhood, she is an elementary school teacher who learns so much from her students. You can find out more about her here.

Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church First Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:6B-15 Brothers and sisters: Learn from myself and Apollos not to go beyond what is written, so that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over against another. Who confers distinction upon you? What do you possess that you have not received? But if you have received it, why are you boasting as if you did not receive it? You are already satisfied; you have already grown rich; you have become kings without us! Indeed, I wish that you had become kings, so that we also might become kings with you. For as I see it, God has exhibited us Apostles as the last of all, like people sentenced to death, since we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels and men alike. We are fools on Christ’s account, but you are wise in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are held in honor, but we in disrepute. To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clad and roughly treated, we wander about homeless and we toil, working with our own hands. When ridiculed, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we respond gently. We have become like the world’s rubbish, the scum of all, to this very moment. I am writing you this not to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. Even if you should have countless guides to Christ, yet you do not have many fathers, for I became your father in Christ Jesus through the Gospel. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 145:17-18, 19-20, 21 R. (18) The Lord is near to all who call upon him. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him, he hears their cry and saves them. The LORD keeps all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him. May my mouth speak the praise of the LORD, and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him. Gospel: Luke 6:1-5 While Jesus was going through a field of grain on a sabbath, his disciples were picking the heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. Some Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” Jesus said to them in reply, “Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? How he went into the house of God, took the bread of offering, which only the priests could lawfully eat, ate of it, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” NAB “All is grace.” –St. Therese of Lisieux . . . Who confers distinction upon you? Saint Paul questions the Corinthians in today’s First Reading. Yikes, I think to myself. He tells them not to become inflated with pride in favor of one person over against another. I feel convicted as I read. He cautions us regarding comparison and boasting. These things are not good for our souls, and they can lead to worse: pride and jealousy. Are you ever guilty of these things, too? The number one place where I find myself able to relate to these warnings of Saint Paul is on social media. It can be brutal, right? I’m scrolling through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, and I start comparing myself. I start getting judgmental. I start getting jealous. Yikes! It’s no good, sisters! It doesn’t happen all the time, but when I take an honest look at my heart, I have to admit that I have these moments of weakness. These reactions are ultimately prideful. They are not what the Lord desires for me. Maybe social media isn’t challenging for you. Maybe you catch yourself guilty as Saint Paul charges in a different setting: the classroom, on the sports field, or in your mom’s group. When I find myself in this kind of situation, I have to remember to step away. Sometimes I click “unfollow.” I close that tab or that phone app, and I stop. In a moment of grace I come to my senses, and I remember to be grateful. Because everything in this life? It’s a gift. What do you possess that you have not received? Everything is a gift from God. Be they material gifts, spiritual gifts, blessings big or small—they are all given to us. We don’t earn anything in this life. It is out of God’s great mercy and love that we are given each day, and every breath. And the greatest gift of all: Christ dying for us, which allows us the gift of eternal life. Sisters, let us raise our hands in thanksgiving and lift our voice in unison with the Psalmist: May my mouth speak the praise of the Lord, and may all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever. Amen! Praise God for the countless blessings He bestows upon us, for they are all gifts. They are all grace. [bctt tweet="It is out of God’s great mercy and love that we are given each day, and every breath. @inendlesssong" username="blessedisshe__"] Lord, open our eyes and our hearts to the gifts you so generously lavish upon us. Help us never to be jealous, but to rejoice with our sisters in Christ when they receive gifts. May we be deeply grateful to You for all You have given, for You have given all. Elise Howe is a devoted wife, momma, and musician currently living in NYC, though she will always be a midwestern gal at heart. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Brothers and sisters: Thus should one regard us: as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Now it is of course required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. It does not concern me in the least that I be judged by you or any human tribunal; I do not even pass judgment on myself; I am not conscious of anything against me, but I do not thereby stand acquitted; the one who judges me is the Lord. Therefore, do not make any judgment before the appointed time, until the Lord comes, for he will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will manifest the motives of our hearts, and then everyone will receive praise from God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 37:3-4, 5-6, 27-28, 39-40 R. (39a) The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Trust in the LORD and do good, that you may dwell in the land and be fed in security. Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests. R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Commit to the LORD your way; trust in him, and he will act. He will make justice dawn for you like the light; bright as the noonday shall be your vindication. R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Turn from evil and do good, that you may abide forever; For the LORD loves what is right, and forsakes not his faithful ones. Criminals are destroyed and the posterity of the wicked is cut off. R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. The salvation of the just is from the LORD; he is their refuge in time of distress. And the LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him. R. The salvation of the just comes from the Lord. Gospel: Luke 5:33-39 The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus, “The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same; but yours eat and drink.” Jesus answered them, “Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast in those days.” And he also told them a parable. “No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one. Otherwise, he will tear the new and the piece from it will not match the old cloak. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins, and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined. Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins. And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’” NAB Upon first listen, Jesus’ parables seem a lot like metaphors. Metaphors take something we know and use it to help us better understand something unfamiliar. For instance, when Romeo says, “Juliet is the sun,” we can take what we know about the sun: its significance, its beauty, its danger, and apply those qualities to the girl in question. But, that isn’t quite what happens in a parable. There’s more to them than that. The stories themselves seem understandable enough: seeds fall various places, the owner of a vineyard wants to collect from his tenants, a cloak needs patching. But what the story actually means, or how it applies to what Jesus is talking about? Well, that’s less obvious. Jesus says as much Himself. Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that ‘looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.’ (Luke 8:9-10.) He says He talks in parables SO THAT WE WON’T UNDERSTAND. And sometimes not even the Apostles get to get it. And he said to them, Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand all the parables? (Mark 4:13.) The point of parables, then, is not to explain something, but rather, to make us think about something. To chew on it. The parables don’t change, but the journeys on which they take us, and the conclusions to which they lead us, can change. We can hear the same story and draw a different meaning from it, as our experiences and circumstances change. And that’s the beauty of the way Jesus chose to teach His followers then and now. He doesn’t always hand us answers and explanations, sometimes He gives us questions and tools. We’ll get to the answers, just not necessarily right away. As Friar Lawrence says to Romeo, “Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.” Have you examined the parables? Do you find them confusing or inapplicable to you? Look twice. Look deeper. photo credit Kendra Tierney lives in Los Angeles, CA where her interests include blogging, homeschooling, looking after her eight children, and fixing up a hundred year old tumbledown mansion. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 Brothers and sisters: Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you considers himself wise in this age, let him become a fool, so as to become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in the eyes of God, for it is written: God catches the wise in their own ruses, and again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain. So let no one boast about human beings, for everything belongs to you, Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or the present or the future: all belong to you, and you to Christ, and Christ to God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6 R. (1) To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it. The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it. Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. R. To the Lord belongs the earth and all that fills it. Gospel: Luke 5:1-11 While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God, he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret. He saw two boats there alongside the lake; the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.” Simon said in reply, “Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing, but at your command I will lower the nets.” When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come to help them. They came and filled both boats so that the boats were in danger of sinking. When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, “Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.” For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized him and all those with him, and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners of Simon. Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” When they brought their boats to the shore, they left everything and followed him. NAB It was the end of a very long day. Very long. I crawled into bed—alone because my husband was traveling—and whispered a brief aspiration, begging for no new crises in my household. The door creaked. He came in, flopped on the end of the bed like he has since he was a little boy so very long ago, looked up with huge brown eyes, and nearly sunk my ship with his sorrow. Here we go again, Lord, casting out into deep water. I'm beyond exhausted, my nets are cleaned, and despite my apparent lack of gain, I'm ready to call it a day. Then, you have more for me to do. You ask me to take you with me out into the deep. I'm uncertain here, parenting these big kids who have so many big challenges. It's uncharted territory and I often find my nets come up empty. I am unworthy and unqualified and unable. Still, You call me here; so I am not unwilling. It’s all I am, God: Willing. And so I’ll plump my pillows and meet his eyes with my own and I will give him my attention and the reassurance of my love, because hearing God’s call and trusting Him with the command to push off and go deep is not a one time event—it’s a vocation for a lifetime. Some days I come up empty. Some days I’m bone tired with nothing measurable to show for it. All He asks on the evenings of those days is my promise to get up the next day and do whatever He tells me again. And I do, with the faith that one day it will not be sorrow that sinks my ship, but abundance. [bctt tweet="One day it will not be sorrow that sinks my ship, but abundance. @elizabethfoss" username="blessedisshe__"] Cast back into the deep, sisters. Especially when you think you have nothing to find or give. Elizabeth Foss is a wife, the mother of nine, and a grandmother. She finds the cacophony of big family imperfection to be the perfect place to learn to walk in the unforced rhythms of grace. You can learn more about her here.