How can one feed these men with bread here in the desert? Mark 8:4 How, indeed? Not only were the disciples nearly empty-handed (only seven loaves for several men? probably not going far), they were in the desert. I've lived near deserts before, and there truly isn't much to even forage for food. Deserts are dry, and the plants able to grow and survive aren't good for eating. The disciples, realists they are, point out that it's not an easy—or even possible—task to feed crowds with bread, in a desert. Realists they may be, they are also doubters. My soul is a desert at times. A desert in which I feel parched, exhausted, hungry. A desert in which I can't see the end, much less an oasis. A desert from which I feel I have little, if anything, to offer. There are days in my vocation as a wife (and mother and homeschooler) that my meager "loaves of bread" seem like crumbs compared to the hunger and needs of my family (not to mention myself). I wander through the day, aimlessly, struggling to keep up with my to-do lists. It's as if I'm going to "faint on the way" to bedtime, barely hanging on by a thread. (You know, the 3pm slump and then the 4-6pm witching hours? Some days it feels nearly impossible to get through those hours!) I doubt that I have enough to offer, or that what I have is good enough. I may doubt, but there is hope. With Jesus, all things are possible. He is the miracle-worker, not me. It is foolish for me to rely on my own strength to do all the things. All I need to do is to offer my gifts, my energy (little though it may be some days), my hopes for my family to Jesus, and let Him do the rest. He can, and does multiply what I have so that needs are met. He can, and does turn my desert into a garden in my heart, when I come to Him in prayer. Jesus calls me to Him, daily, just as He called his disciples to Him. He only asks that I give Him thanks for my blessings, and ask Him into my heart and life to lead me. When I do that, I'll be satisfied, and I'll be filled with the grace to do all the things asked of me during each day. Listen for Jesus. Come to Him in prayer and the Word and let Him bless your efforts. photo credit Gina Fensterer is a wife, daughter, mother, friend, homeschooling mama and Colorado native. You can find out more about her here.

And they heard the sound of the Lord God, walking in the garden. Genesis 3:8 Can you imagine what it must have been like in the garden of Eden, before sin entered the world? Adam and Eve got to literally hang out with God all day long, face to face. They got to take walks with him, check out the animals, enjoy the beautiful plants. I imagine Adam and Eve and God, all dipping their toes in the waters of the river. The relationship they had with Him was one of complete communion, total intimacy, free from all hindrances. And then sin came. Now I’m no theologian, so I’m not going to grapple with the question of why sin was allowed to enter the world. But it was. Can you imagine how devastating it must have been for Adam and Eve when that intimate relationship with God was broken and they were cast out of the garden and away from His presence? They were made to toil, and to feel pain, and to experience shame. Every day since then we, as humankind, have lived in a fallen world. There is pain, there is suffering, bad things happen to good people, and our sin prevents us from having the perfect relationship with God that our souls long for and that we were created for. But God had a plan, from the beginning, a plan to restore that broken relationship. And that plan was Jesus. Jesus sets right everything that went wrong because of sin. In the Gospel today we see Jesus healing a man who is deaf and can’t speak. He takes what is broken and makes it whole. It is a reminder to us that, yes, He brings physical healing, but more than that He brings spiritual healing to our broken souls. And by giving his own life He repairs our relationship with God the Father. Do you feel a million miles away from God because of sin? Do you know that Jesus wants to heal you and have an intimate relationship with you? Go to Him, He longs to heal and restore. Use these familiar words from the Mass to ask Jesus for His healing today: Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed. photo credit Anna Coyne is a wife, mother, knitter, gardener, and convert to the Catholic faith. Read more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 2:18-25 Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him." So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 128:1-5 Blessed is every one who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Lo, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! Gospel: Mark 7:24-30 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid. But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoeni'cian by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. And he said to her, "Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." And he said to her, "For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter." And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone. ESV Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. Yoda from StarWars Fear is something we try to avoid. We raise our kids in the best neighborhoods we can afford, we sleep with nightlights, lock our doors, take self-defense classes. We try to prepare so that we won’t be fearful of the future—we save our money, plan for retirement, spend responsibly, and pay off our debt. We say our prayers and trust in the Lord. In His Word, we are consistently instructed NOT to fear—see Exodus, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Psalsm 23, 27, 34, 56, 91, 112, repeatedly in Isaiah, and in all four Gospels, just to start. And in all these cases, we are instructed, as people of God, to NOT have fear. We are told that God will “Calm all our fears” (Zephaniah 3:17), and that “God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power, and love, and self-control.” (2 Timothy 1:7.) So why then are we told in the Psalm today: Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! Fear of the Lord, like general fear, moves us to action in a different way. When we fear the Lord we are compelled to walk in His ways. Unlike other fears, fear of the Lord can lead us to a higher place. It can lead us to Holiness, when it is coupled with more holy behavior. It leads us to a deeper faith. We can know the Lord, and love the Lord, and fear the Lord. And yet it will not be as a horrible master ruling through fear over his people. This fear, will not lead us to towards darkness, but rather it pull us closer to His Light. Fear of the Lord prompts us to walk in His ways. What fears are preventing you from walking in His ways? photo credit MaryRuth Hackett is a full-time wife and mother doing her best to teach her four children to love God and country. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17 These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up -- for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground -- then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die." Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 104:1-2, 27-30 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, who coverest thyself with light as with a garment, who hast stretched out the heavens like a tent, These all look to thee, to give them their food in due season. When thou givest to them, they gather it up; when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good things. When thou hidest thy face, they are dismayed; when thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust. When thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; and thou renewest the face of the ground. Gospel: Mark 7:14-23 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, "Hear me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him." And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, "What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man." ESV The readings from today end on a pretty dour note. Their message is clear and more than a little disheartening. I don’t want to downplay the seriousness of that message nor do I want to ignore it. We are sinners living in a fallen world and we need to acknowledge and confront the sins in our lives and their roots. But today that’s not what I want to focus on. Today I want to ponder this: God has breathed into us the breath of life. He gathered up the very dust of the ground and with it He formed us in His image. And then He breathed into us. It seems almost ridiculous that He would stoop to breathe into us, to bestow on dirt and ash so great a gift as His very image and to then fill it with His very breath. His act of creation seems to foreshadow the rest of salvation history. “He fills the lowly with good things . . .” and “Behold I make all things new.” This gives me hope. If every nook and cranny of my inmost being has been filled with His Breath, and if all my heart and soul and body has been redeemed by the Blood and the Grace pouring out of Christ crucified, then I can rise above the evil in my heart. Going forward let's set aside any fear or beliefs that we are the sum of our sins. Going forward let's open our hearts and ask God to once again fill them with His Holy Spirit. God renews the face of the earth—how much more He will do for us! Are you open to His breath? 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: Genesis 1:20--2:4 And God said, "Let the waters bring forth swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the firmament of the heavens." So God created the great sea monsters and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day. And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kinds: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds." And it was so. And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the cattle according to their kinds, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth." So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth." And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food." And it was so. And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God finished his work which he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested from all his work which he had done in creation. These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 8:4-9 When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him? Yet thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor. Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea. Gospel: Mark 7:1-13 Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?" And he said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, `This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.' You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men." And he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! For Moses said, `Honor your father and your mother'; and, `He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die'; but you say, `If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban' (that is, given to God) -- then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do." ESV When I was a teenager I received a picture-a-day calendar of Hubble Telescope photographs. This was back in the day when the Hubble was cutting-edge and the images it was sending back were astonishing. I would keep my favorite pictures in a box; each new nebula and galaxy entranced me. Every now and then I would try to imagine where I fit into all the vast beauty in space. Here I was, just this single little speck on a tiny plant rotating around a small star in a run-of-the-mill solar system in a rather unexciting galaxy. How on earth could I matter? To even venture a few miles above my head my own actions ceased to have any affect. As I grew older I struggled with my faith as so many teenagers did. So many friends around me were losing their childhood beliefs in favor of more fashionable beliefs and many times I faltered. But my thoughts would often come back to that box of pictures from the depths of space and slowly I began to see something wonderful in those pictures. Instead of feeling alone in the ever expanding cosmos, I felt special. I knew enough of science by then to understand that of all the things the atoms and molecules in my body could have become—from the largest nebula to a great star—these tiny little bits and pieces had formed, divided, split and stuck together to become me. Out of all the wondrous things in the universe to be a part of I still existed and by default I must be wondrous too. Today the Psalmist asks, "When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established; what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?" There is nothing in creation that is not precious to God. Out of the finite materials in the universe God saw fit to create you, and what wonder you are. Do you know you are special in God's eye? photo credit Molly Walter is a wife, mother and homemaker (with a pesky job outside the home). She shares about making the life she wants with the life she's been given over here.

First Reading: Genesis 1:1-19 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters." And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. And God said, "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear." And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, "Let the earth put forth vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, upon the earth." And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to separate the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years, and let them be lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth." And it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 104:1-2, 5-6, 10, 12, 24, 35 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, thou art very great! Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, who coverest thyself with light as with a garment, who hast stretched out the heavens like a tent, Thou didst set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be shaken. Thou didst cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. Thou makest springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, By them the birds of the air have their habitation; they sing among the branches. O LORD, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy creatures. Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more! Bless the LORD, O my soul! Praise the LORD! Gospel: Mark 6:53-56 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennes'aret, and moored to the shore. And when they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him, and ran about the whole neighborhood and began to bring sick people on their pallets to any place where they heard he was. And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or country, they laid the sick in the market places, and besought him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched it were made well. ESV And it was so. God said, “Let there be light.” “I will rescue you.” “Be opened.” “I will make all things new.” And it was so. When I’m desperate for a miracle, when I’m calling upon the Lord and giving Him an earful in my fear and worry, the first thing I always do is remind Him that He is almighty and all powerful (as if He needs the reminder). I state my total and irrevocable belief in His omnipotence. I do this mostly to remind myself that Jesus can do anything He wills. I do this to remind myself that our God is a God that moves mountains, that brings dead people back to life, that forgives heinous sins, that loves to the point of death, that cures incurable disease, that is close to the lowliest of us. I repeat what we profess during each Mass: “Only say the word,” to remind myself of the immense power of the Word of God. Scripture, the Word of God, overflows with accounts of God’s power and severance over the universe. He merely speaks, and it is so. Why else would people come flooding out of their homes, laying their sick in crowded places, desperately seeking to touch just the hem of His garment? They knew it, too. Jesus only need to say the word, and it would be so. What word do you need spoken over your life today, sister? What will you ask of the Lord? Will you come to Him, in the midst of the chaos of the world, just to touch Him? Will you bring your illness before Him in total confidence that He will restore you? He wants to bring light to our lives, He wants to rescue us, He wants our wounded hearts to be opened, He wants to make us new. Will we declare our faith in Him and allow it to be so? What will you ask of the Lord? Say it out and say it to Him. 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.

First Reading: Job 7:1-4, 6-7 "Has not man a hard service upon earth, and are not his days like the days of a hireling? Like a slave who longs for the shadow, and like a hireling who looks for his wages, so I am allotted months of emptiness, and nights of misery are apportioned to me. When I lie down I say, `When shall I arise?' But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till the dawn. My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and come to their end without hope. "Remember that my life is a breath; my eye will never again see good. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 147:1-6 Praise the LORD! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is seemly. The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars, he gives to all of them their names. Great is our LORD, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. The LORD lifts up the downtrodden, he casts the wicked to the ground. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:16-19, 22-23 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not making full use of my right in the gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Gospel: Mark 1:29-39 And immediately he left the synagogue, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay sick with a fever, and immediately they told him of her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her; and she served them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered together about the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him pursued him, and they found him and said to him, "Every one is searching for you." And he said to them, "Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also; for that is why I came out." And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. ESV When I read today's readings I'm struck with how closely the physical world with all its suffering, crosses, dirt, grime, and hardship cannot be separated from the spiritual world. "But the night is long, and I am full of tossing till dawn." How true those words ring in all our hearts. We have all been there with Job; we've all had times where we didn't think we'd make it through the pain of suffering. It is precisely during those times where we feel most alone and when the spiritual world could not feel farther away. Mirroring Job's lamentation is the Gospel reading; a light of Jesus in the everyday and tangible, in the physical and surrounded by the failings of this world. Jesus meets and heals Simon's mother-in-law who was sick with a fever. I don't think this fever is meant to be a dramatic disease, but a simple, everyday kind of suffering. And since Jesus is there he heals her. Then, as soon as she is healed she serves. It is a scene from ordinary life that is touched by a divine miracle. This very everyday event is the reason why it should speak to us right now in our everyday lives. Jesus is there, and is still here with us today, and wants to impact our lives in the nitty gritty, very practical, very ordinary parts of life. But when we are in the midst of suffering like Job we can also be blinded to Jesus' presence. We feel only the darkness and are unable to see any help, and this is a spiritual experience that has been with us since the beginning of time. Job was no stranger to this feeling of the absence of grace, this spiritual abandonment. It is a feeling that completely traps us in our temporal world. Unfortunately there are many times where we give up in ever seeing the light of grace in our lives again. It is so difficult to turn back to prayer when in the midst of the darkness, when anything resembling Christ's love and grace feel completely foreign. But just as Christ returns to prayer after being confronted with so much human suffering and pain, so we must return to prayer in the times of darkness. Jesus turned to prayer in his human life, and when we turn to prayer in ours, even when we feel crushed by the weight of our fallen world, we move closer to Him. Where is the darkness in our lives we can turn over for Christ to make bright? 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.

I particularly love today’s Gospel. I can imagine the apostles tired and weary after a long day of preaching and ministering. They were doing God’s work but Jesus knew they could not keep up this pace. They needed a little quiet, some food and rest so He took them away on a boat to find a lonely place. I picture the apostles sitting in the boat and thanking God that they had the chance to get off their feet but they looked ahead and saw the throngs of people running to their “quiet spot.” I’m sure some of the apostles got upset that they couldn’t even have some rest time before everyone needed something from them again. I also imagine other apostles seeing the same thing and then looking to Jesus. In Jesus’ eyes they saw a wave of compassion and they knew He would not send them away, but carry on with ministering to them. They also knew that if they wanted to rest, this was their only chance. So they placed their heads on their laps and tried to rest on the boat ride. How many of us can relate to being so busy we have “no leisure even to eat?” The throngs of people calling you may be your little ones that don’t give you two minutes of peace to use the bathroom. Or it could be the non-stop interruptions you have when you are trying to finish a project before your deadline. There are times when we give and give and give and feel like we can’t go on. Jesus understands that. He whispers, "Come away by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a while." We need that quiet time with Jesus to recharge our batteries and renew our spirits to continue in our vocation. What about those moments when our quiet place is bombarded and we cannot rest as planned? Then we need to get creative to carve out a few minutes when we can. If you can’t even step away for even a minute, then stop a few seconds and take a deep breath and say, “God, come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me.” He will give you the grace you need to make it through that moment and carry on. Are you able to come away and spend time alone with Our Lord? If not, what can you do to make it happen? photo credit Bobbi Rol is full time mom to a teen daughter, three rambunctious little boys, and two babies in heaven. She lives in California with her husband, Brian. You can find out more about her here.

Sometimes I struggle with fear. As much as I tell myself I do not care what others think, I find myself measuring my worth based on their opinions (or the ones I've guessed they have) of me. Recently, my husband and I have decided to try homeschooling our children. Before I go any further, I was the one growing up who thought homeschooled kids were weird. I was the one shouting from my inner rooftop that they lacked social skills, that young people could not be sheltered forever, and any age-old opinion that was contrary to educating children at home. Then, I had children. My oldest is not school-aged yet. However, I find myself worrying so much that I cannot even begin, even if it's just a slice of what we hope to do when he really starts kindergarten. When I'm honest with the reason why I can't start, it's simple. I'm afraid to fail. There is an even deeper problem in that fear. It is not that I will fail in the eyes of God, but rather in the eyes of my neighbor. I fear their opinion of me. I imagine them saying those very things I said of homeschoolers long ago. I imagine my child not knowing his colors and shapes at the age of three (he doesn't) and them thinking consequently that I am failing as a mother. I imagine my children not being able to socialize in the "correct" manner. I am afraid that they will leave our home to go out on their own someday and be so overtaken by a world they were not immersed in early on and not know how to handle what life throws their way. There is even a part of me that fears I will not have the patience to teach them. Ultimately I am afraid that they will be "weird" and it will be because of me. Then, I read today's readings. "Seek ye my face." In the end, God will not care if my three year old knows a square from a rectangle. It will make no difference to him if my child knows more about pop culture than the next. He won't even care how my children have been schooled. Ultimately, I have a feeling, He will want for me that very failure that I fear. Because those fears are of this world, not of His. He is not interested in me pleasing others. His only concern is that we get back to Him and do our very best to lead our children to Him as well. Second by second, I will have to remind myself that when it is Him whom I seek, those other opinions will cease to be of much importance. And, I pray for that shift of thinking . . . that my only fear in this life will not be in failing others but instead failing Him. What are your biggest fears? How can you give those to God and find assurance in Him? photo credit Britt Fisk is the wife of Jeremy and mother of four 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.

Sometimes when I seek to share the Lord’s message with others, I work too hard trying to find just the right words, just the right way, just the right time. I browse through countless books, webpages, attempting to find the words that will convey His message perfectly. I want to convince the person with my erudite lesson. If I can just put together the perfect argument, this will convince him. I want my words to do the work. I wait until I think the timing is right. I’m always ready to convince myself that my friend is not in the right frame of mind to hear Christ’s message. If I wait until he’s in a better mood, my words will have more impact. I have lost sight of the fact that it is His grace that touches the heart. It is all in His time. Certainly, He uses me as an instrument, but I allow my puffed up pride to attempt to commandeer the situation. (Although we all know how futile that is.) It is not bad to prepare oneself, but we must remember, sisters, that it is Christ who transforms hearts. “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20) By instructing His disciples in today’s Gospel to leave the extraneous at home, Christ is reminding them that HE is the way, the truth, the life. He is the ONE who gives the power to change hearts. Don your tunic and sandals, and pick up your staff (because those are important for a long journey) but leave those other things at home, He tells them. ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me . . . for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 Because, truly, Christ is not revealed in the perfect words, the perfect argument, our idea of perfect timing. He is revealed in our weakness. He is revealed when we leave aside the accoutrements and allow Him to work through us. How am I proving more as an obstacle than an instrument in conveying Christ’s grace to others? Where am I trying too hard, relying on my own strength, and not enough on Him? What “extraneous things” can I leave behind to be a better instrument of His grace? St. Ignatius' Prayer for Generosity Teach me to serve you as you deserve; to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest, to labor and not to ask for reward, save that of knowing that I do your will. photo credit Laurel Muff is a creator and appreciator of beautiful things. She resides with her husband and daughters in Northern California. You can find more about her here.

The reading today is beautiful in its expression of how God uses discipline as a loving way to help us be better. Just as our parents set boundaries and discipline for us so that we wouldn't chop our hands off, or drive our siblings raving mad with repeated cymbal use. And yet who among us thinks we need discipline as adults? I mean, I'm not a child anymore. So I no longer need rules and consequences. I'm an autonomous adult who is free to think and do and chose and stay up as late as I want! God in His infinite wisdom as a father has set in our hearts a natural law, a pervading sense of conscience of right and wrong. Almost an internal discipline metronome. We would like to think we can do what we want without consequence. We would like to think our choices affect only us, so why would we need to consider others or justify our actions? We're entitled to be how we feel. My college boyfriend was a nice guy, but the relationship was so dramatic and filled with drama and hurt. I was nineteen and sure my life was my own and my choices would only affect me. I hadn't strengthened my emotional discipline internally enough yet to know how to rein myself in, be a big girl, and be mature about love and loss. Now that I'm practically a middle-aged married woman, I think of how well-disciplined I am. Do I lash out at my husband because I'm having a hard day? Do I snipe at my very loving siblings when I'm frustrated and feeling dramatic? Double yes. But I'm more aware of emotional self-discipline than I was more than a decade ago, and I hope to be more emotionally disciplined as I age. Being conscious of how we act and how it affects those around us feels pretty critical for a healthy emotional life. And we feel it in our hearts. We know when we're not rising to the standard of self-discipline Our Father calls us to. Join me today in increasing awareness of emotional self-discipline, as befits the daughters of the King. Nell O'Leary is an attorney turned stay-at-home mom to three lovelies. She and her husband live in the great city of Saint Paul. You can find out more about her here.

Have you seen the movie "Unbroken" yet? My husband and I saw it shortly after Christmas, and we were incredibly touched by the story of Louis Zamperini's life. In the face of great physical and emotional turmoil, he persevered. Eventually, he came to know true peace through the power of forgiveness and a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Like Mr. Zamperini, the woman in the Gospel today persevered through her own physical and emotional pain. I have often wondered about this nameless woman suffering horribly from hemorrhages. We really do not know much about her. What caused her illness? Was she outcast from her family and community? How did she first hear about Jesus? Did she have anyone she could talk to amid her pain and confusion? I can only imagine how lonely and desperate she must have felt. Scripture tells us she had spent all she had on many different physicians and it never helped her condition, but her health continued to decline and worsen. But somehow in her pain and suffering, she continued to persevere. She continued to seek healing and help, which eventually led her right to the feet of Jesus. Pushing her way through the crowds, she desperately sought to get as close to Jesus as she possibly could and thinking, "If I can only get close enough to touch him, even if just the tip of his garment. There is something about this man. Perhaps he will heal me, will make me whole again." No matter our life circumstances or trials, we are all like this nameless woman in the Gospel today. Suffering, trials, and trauma can either leave us broken and beaten or healed and restored. Mr. Zamperini almost was consumed by his anger and bitterness towards his captors. The nameless woman almost gave up all hope of ever being healed. The book of Hebrews reminds us what made people like Mr. Zamperini or this woman different, it was that they continued to run with perseverance the race that was set before them. They never gave up, even when they stared hopelessness in the face. Is there a particular saint you admire or love who can encourage you to greater perseverance where you need it most in life? Ask him or her to bless you with an abundance of hope today. There are so many stories of average people like you and I who allowed the difficult situations in life to transform their entire life. From Immaculée Ilibagiza to Saint Rita, we are truly surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses to encourage us on the journey of life. And you, where are you in life today? Are you struggling to find hope or persevere in running the race set before you? Don't give up! Do not grow weary or tired. photo credit Patty Hubbard is a new-ish wife finishing grad school, working in youth ministry, and learning to cook more than your average Lean Cuisine. You can find out more about her here.

The Presentation of Our Lord, traditionally known as the Purification of Our Lady or Candlemas, is the traditional end of the Christmas season. Mary has waited the required 40 days and is now fulfilling the law of Moses in going to the Temple to be purified and to present her Son. How beautiful it is to see God Himself submitting to the law, granted it is the law that He established. But God lowered himself to become a man and then showed us the perfect way to be a man. Mary, we know because of her perpetual virginity, did not need to be purified; she was always pure. Jesus did not need to be presented; He was the Lord, Himself. But the Holy Family willingly took part in the rituals of their religion, which are so much like the Sacraments we have now. We can look at them as an example in this regard. The law of the Church may seem unnecessary and silly at times, but the simple act of obedience to the Church, which in turn is obedience to God is the antithesis of the Original Sin of disobedience. Even God submitted to the law, so should we. In addition to fulfilling the requirements of the law, the Holy Family gave hope to two people that had been waiting their whole lives for the Messiah. Simeon already had the Holy Spirit upon him, and recognized the Christ child as the promised salvation, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." The Church prays this canticle every night in Night Prayer, remembering as we go to our beds that the salvation of Israel as well as the Gentiles has come into the world and redeemed us all. Anna also recognized in Jesus the salvation of her people, and the fulfillment of the promise made to all of Israel and the whole world that redemption would come. Anna and Simeon are examples of long lives of devotion and prayer spent in waiting for the Messiah. For us though, our Messiah is already here. He has been made like us in every way. He was even tempted, as we are tempted. But He has also promised that He would be with us in our trials. God keeps His promises, and if we reach out to Him in our moments of temptation, He will keep His promises. When our prayer lives fall apart, when we are tempted to not hope in the Lord, to not follow His laws, we must seek grace. God’s grace through the Holy Spirit helps us to obey the laws of God and the Church and through our obedience we are drawn close to God again. Sometimes all we can do is the bare minimum that is required of us. We are physically present at Mass on Sunday, we keep the other laws of the Church, but we still feel empty. If we persevere through the bare minimum and seek with our hearts a deeper life of prayer, God will fulfill His promise to us, and we will be refined. Pray about how the practices of the Church have helped you grow closer to God. photo credit Susanna Spencer once studied theology and philosophy, but now happily cares for her three adorable little girls and her dear husband. You can find out more about her here.

“O come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!” I absolutely love today’s Psalm. As a singer from my itty-bitty youth and an admitted loudmouth in my middle age, it makes me borderline giddy when Scripture explicitly invites me to do what comes naturally. The "be still" stuff? Ak. Find someone else. But "make a joyful noise?" Sign me up! Except . . . too often, crummy circumstances and negative feelings conspire against my desire to praise God. I just don’t feel like praising Him. During an endless day of chasing numerous children in myriad directions where the breakfast was burned, the coffee was cold, the toilet overflowed, the homework was lost, the van was iced over, the dinner wouldn’t cook, the husband had a late meeting, the important deadline was missed . . . there may be noises coming out of my mouth, but I can pretty much guarantee that none of them are joyful! And yet, Scripture doesn't say, "Make a joyful noise when life is perfect." It doesn't say, “Praise the Lord when you’re sufficiently caffeinated and everyone is calm and your house is pin-worthy.” No. Rather, Scripture implores us to “Rejoice in the LORD always . . . Again, I say, rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4). Blessedly, we can pray (over and over again as needed) for the ability to choose to make a joyful noise and worship the rock of our salvation regardless how we feel or what’s gone wrong in our day. And, really, why shouldn’t we attempt, as difficult as it may be, to praise Him as much as we can here on earth? We have countless reasons to sing His praises. Namely, the God of the Universe will never, ever forsake or abandon us! Our Heavenly Father loves us here and now, right where we are—in the mess and the chaos and the muck. He is worthy! And He wants to hear from you. Today, try to set aside anything that is attempting to steal your joy and silence the song in your heart and just praise God for Who He is, from exactly where you are, even if you merely whisper a simple, “Thank You, Jesus,” or, “I love You, Lord.” Praising God on earth is a foretaste of Heaven. Let’s dig in and take a bite today. photo credit Heather Anderson Renshaw is currently not drinking enough [coffee] to keep up with her five young kiddos in the Pacific NW. You can find out more about her here.

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen . . . By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place which he was to receive as an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was to go. I love that first line of today’s Scripture. There is so much to ponder but the following words about Abraham’s faith really blow my mind, “He went out, not knowing where to go.” Imagine that! To follow where the Lord is leading, even if you don’t know the outcome. That kind of faith amazes me. I’ve seen it in the example of friends, and even strangers, who have endured heavy crosses with grace, patience, and incredible faith. It is easy to follow God and have faith in Him when life is going relatively well. However, when we become like the apostles and find ourselves in the midst of a great storm, that is when our faith is truly tested and we find out just how deep it is. When I look back at my own life, I can the see the times when my faith was tested the most—during my reversion, during our infertility years and the miscarriages that followed, or more recently, during my husband’s fight with cancer. I’ll admit that at times fear crippled me. It wasn’t until I opened my eyes and looked at Christ that I could hear Him ask, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” God is teaching me to let go. Like Abraham, He wants us to follow even though we may not know exactly where we are going. We have to hold onto the truth that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” That is no easy task and there are still moments when I struggle. These storms of life are not always big, life-changing situations. We face storms every day and our faith is challenged. We may be tempted to give in to our fear and think that we are incapable of making it through a difficult moment or situation. By ourselves, we cannot. However, Jesus is ready and waiting to calm our storm and restore peace to our hearts. What is causing fear in your life right now? Spend a few moments pouring your heart out to God and speak to him candidly. Place your fears at his feet and let his calm wash over you. photo credit Bobbi Rol is full time mom to a tween daughter, three rambunctious little boys, and two babies in heaven. She lives in California with her husband, Brian. You can find out more about her here.

Did anyone else just do a fist pump when you read today’s readings? When I was in high school, I finally read the Word. Of course, I had heard the Word spoken to me at every Mass since I was in diapers getting dunked in the Holy Water. But when I was a new teenager, wide-eyed and self-conscious, I finally read the Bible for myself. And boy, I wasn’t missing anything. I tried to start at the beginning. Page one, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth . . .” YAWN. Over and over, I tried to read the Bible from the beginning. I’d get half-way through Genesis chapter 1 and give up. But one day, I said a little prayer in my heart. Lord, speak to me through Your word. And I opened up to a random page and read the first thing I saw. Then I did it again, and I did it again. I was getting somewhere. He was sending me messages. It was our secret code. The light bulb flashed on and I finally understood. The Bible is meant to be lived, not simply read. His Word is like a seed planted: "and the seed should sprout and grow, he knows not how.” We get glimmers and flashes of the truth of our lives. We get a peak at His plans. We get a sliver of His creation. But like the seed in the soil, the Word grows in our hearts. It sprouts and blossoms slowly, rooting itself into the very fabric of our beings. The will of God allows us to endure. We keep the faith. That is why I am so invigorated by today’s readings. He has reminded me, yet again, of His glorious and awesome power to speak to me through His Words. I look up the the sky and throw out my arms in celebration. How do you find truth in the Word in your daily life? How do you read the messages of the Bible and see yourself as the reader for whom the Word was written? photo credit Samantha Aguinaldo-Wetterholm is a wife, mom, and soon-to-be-dentist currently living in San Francisco, California. You can find out more about her here.

Today’s Gospel gives us a glimpse of what happens when we let God’s light shine through us. When I converted nine years ago, God slowly worked on my heart and lit a flame of love for Him. That lamp burns bright some days. On other days, for some reason it stays hidden under the bed. I am in too much of a rush, and I forget that flame He lit just for me. I fail to invite Him into my day, and in doing so, fail in my responsibility to keep the lamp out on the lampstand. My behavior is not without reproach, and those days are harried and stressed, containing far too many raised voices. As Catholics, we have such beautiful examples of how the light of Christ shines through real people, in the Saints. My three favorites are Saints Claire, Catherine, and Theresa of Avila. Each possessing such different personalities, and different gifts, yet because of the choices they made daily to serve God, they shine the light of Christ for the good of the world. What happens when we let ourselves be His lamp, when we hear His word and allow it to affect our very behavior? We are able to join the Saints and stand in His holy place: Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of his salvation. And what does the Lord tell us will come of our dedication? More. For to him who has will more be given; and from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. The good that we show others, has been given unto us, and when we don't pass it on, it will be taken from us. Christ pulls no punches! He is here to give us limitless grace, but we must also respond to that grace by passing on His goodness and His light. We become the Lamp that offers His light to others, and that lamp will never burn dry. Clean your hands of that which separates you from God and examine your heart. What is preventing you from putting your lamp on the lampstand each day? What areas do you need to work on in order to have a pure heart? Be honest with yourself and commit to work on just one thing this month. Go to confession, and start off clean, that His light may shine all the brighter. MaryRuth Hackett is a full-time wife and mother doing her best to teach her four children to love God and country. You can find out more about her here.