First Reading: 2 Samuel 1:1-4, 11-12, 19, 23-27 David returned from his defeat of the Amalekites and spent two days in Ziklag. On the third day a man came from Saul’s camp, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head. Going to David, he fell to the ground in homage. David asked him, “Where do you come from?” He replied, “I have escaped from the camp of the children of Israel.” “Tell me what happened,” David bade him. He answered that many of the soldiers had fled the battle and that many of them had fallen and were dead, among them Saul and his son Jonathan. David seized his garments and rent them, and all the men who were with him did likewise. They mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the soldiers of the LORD of the clans of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. “Alas! the glory of Israel, Saul, slain upon your heights; how can the warriors have fallen! “Saul and Jonathan, beloved and cherished, separated neither in life nor in death, swifter than eagles, stronger than lions! Women of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet and in finery, who decked your attire with ornaments of gold. “How can the warriors have fallen– in the thick of the battle, slain upon your heights! “I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother! most dear have you been to me; more precious have I held love for you than love for women. “How can the warriors have fallen, the weapons of war have perished!” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 80:2-3, 5-7 R. (4b) Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved. O shepherd of Israel, hearken, O guide of the flock of Joseph! From your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Rouse your power, and come to save us. R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved. O LORD of hosts, how long will you burn with anger while your people pray? You have fed them with the bread of tears and given them tears to drink in ample measure. You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. R. Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved. Gospel: Mark 3:20-21 Jesus came with his disciples into the house. Again the crowd gathered, making it impossible for them even to eat. When his relatives heard of this they set out to seize him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” NAB How do you interpret today's Gospel? It feels so unfinished and out of context, I was very confused at first. So after re-reading it for the fifth time, I visualized myself in this situation, took what I understood from it and got this . . . Jesus, our Lord is generous. Generous with His time, generous with His presence, generous with His attention and generous in spirit. I like my space. I am a people person, so being close to people is my preference, but even I need space and time after awhile and especially just silence. I have become more claustrophobic as time has gone on, and my tolerance threshold for loud noises, busy and crowded spaces has definitely lessoned since college days. So I put myself in Jesus's shoes and think . . . If I were the son of God and a very important person, I would absolutely be demanding my time and space and screaming at the people about how selfish they are that they cannot even let me eat in peace. I would be furious, annoyed and steaming . . . not to mention hungry. But Jesus is silent, lets it be, receives it, and does not react, to the point that His relatives consider him "crazy." The Lord was so radically hospitable in spirit and heart that it broke the social norms or just even common sense! By definition hospitality is the act of being "friendly towards guests and strangers," but Jesus goes beyond that. A friendly hospitable response would be to kindly and respectfully turn the guests away to re-convene at a different time and place. That is not what Jesus does. He digs deeper and is radically hospitable. He completely and utterly puts His desires, wants, and needs (however justifiable) on the back burner. He sees the need of the people to be with Him . . . close to Him . . . and He just lets that be. However untimely, inappropriate, rude, or disgraceful their actions were, He loves them, sees through their short-comings and cuts to the truth of their actions. I feel like I too am very rude to our Lord. I fit Him in my day when it's convenient, timely and makes sense, but what if I was like this crowd and had no other desire in the world than to spend my day as close to the Lord as possible, no matter how socially awkward or inappropriate to the world it is? I am humbled by the Lord's generosity with me. He meets me where I am, even if where I am is an ignorant and selfish state of mind. Even if I am too far from him, He still reaches out his hand and when I am too close He lovingly lets me in. The most important thing in all this is that He is constant. No matter what craziness is happening around. He is always there. [bctt tweet="The most important thing in all this is that our Lord is constant."] Let us strive to be more radical in our hospitality with our Lord and with those around us, imitating our Lord in His generosity. photo credit Cassie Kent is a wife, mom to two kiddos and one on the way, loves to get a little crafty and loves celebrating the beauty of creativity. You can find out more about her here.

Day of Prayer for Legal Protection of the Unborn First Reading: 1 Samuel 24:3-21 Saul took three thousand picked men from all Israel and went in search of David and his men in the direction of the wild goat crags. When he came to the sheepfolds along the way, he found a cave, which he entered to relieve himself. David and his men were occupying the inmost recesses of the cave. David’s servants said to him, “This is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘I will deliver your enemy into your grasp; do with him as you see fit.’” So David moved up and stealthily cut off an end of Saul’s mantle. Afterward, however, David regretted that he had cut off an end of Saul’s mantle. He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed, as to lay a hand on him, for he is the LORD’s anointed.” With these words David restrained his men and would not permit them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way. David also stepped out of the cave, calling to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked back, David bowed to the ground in homage and asked Saul: “Why do you listen to those who say, ‘David is trying to harm you’? You see for yourself today that the LORD just now delivered you into my grasp in the cave. I had some thought of killing you, but I took pity on you instead. I decided, ‘I will not raise a hand against my lord, for he is the LORD’s anointed and a father to me.’ Look here at this end of your mantle which I hold. Since I cut off an end of your mantle and did not kill you, see and be convinced that I plan no harm and no rebellion. I have done you no wrong, though you are hunting me down to take my life. The LORD will judge between me and you, and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case. I shall not touch you. The old proverb says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness.’ So I will take no action against you. Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea! The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you. May he see this, and take my part, and grant me justice beyond your reach!” When David finished saying these things to Saul, Saul answered, “Is that your voice, my son David?” And Saul wept aloud. Saul then said to David: “You are in the right rather than I; you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm. Great is the generosity you showed me today, when the LORD delivered me into your grasp and you did not kill me. For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed? May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day. And now, I know that you shall surely be king and that sovereignty over Israel shall come into your possession.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 57:2, 3-4, 6 AND 11 R. (2a) Have mercy on me, God, have mercy. Have mercy on me, O God; have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. In the shadow of your wings I take refuge, till harm pass by. R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy. I call to God the Most High, to God, my benefactor. May he send from heaven and save me; may he make those a reproach who trample upon me; may God send his mercy and his faithfulness. R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; above all the earth be your glory! For your mercy towers to the heavens, and your faithfulness to the skies. R. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy. Gospel: Mark 3:13-19 Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him. He appointed Twelve, whom he also named Apostles, that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons: He appointed the Twelve: Simon, whom he named Peter; James, son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James, whom he named Boanerges, that is, sons of thunder; Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus; Thaddeus, Simon the Cananean, and Judas Iscariot who betrayed him. NAB In America today, the Church calls us to pray for the legal protection of the unborn. Today’s Psalm is incredibly appropriate. As I read the words of the psalmist, I thought of the victims of the heavy crime against the unborn. I thought of both mother and child. Have mercy on me, God, have mercy I thought of fathers too. In the shadow of your wings I take refuge I thought of brothers and sisters. For your mercy towers to the heavens And all those affected by abortion. and your faithfulness to the skies Many of you today will stand on the frontlines outside abortion clinics, peacefully praying for the unborn and for the conversion of those who work in said clinics. Many of you will go to Mass and offer up prayers for our leaders to act righteously and defend the defenseless. And some of you might be like me. You will offer quiet prayers throughout the day, praying for God to have mercy. Because I can’t help but think of the women who live with the guilt of abortion. There is so much suffering, but there is such an opportunity for grace because His mercy towers to the heavens and His faithfulness to the skies. [bctt tweet="Have mercy on me, God, have mercy."] Can you dedicate time to pray specifically for the unborn? In what ways can you contribute to a culture of life? Perhaps there is a small sacrifice you can make today. Jacqueline Skemp is a daughter, sister, wife and mother who endures living in Minnesota after leaving California for her one true love. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-33, 37, 40-51 David spoke to Saul: “Let your majesty not lose courage. I am at your service to go and fight this Philistine.” But Saul answered David, “You cannot go up against this Philistine and fight with him, for you are only a youth, while he has been a warrior from his youth.” David continued: “The LORD, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine.” Saul answered David, “Go! the LORD will be with you.” Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag. With his sling also ready to hand, he approached the Philistine. With his shield bearer marching before him, the Philistine also advanced closer and closer to David. When he had sized David up, and seen that he was youthful, and ruddy, and handsome in appearance, the Philistine held David in contempt. The Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods and said to him, “Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.” David answered him: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; I will strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will leave your corpse and the corpses of the Philistine army for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field; thus the whole land shall learn that Israel has a God. All this multitude, too, shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle is the LORD’s and he shall deliver you into our hands.” The Philistine then moved to meet David at close quarters, while David ran quickly toward the battle line in the direction of the Philistine. David put his hand into the bag and took out a stone, hurled it with the sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone embedded itself in his brow, and he fell prostrate on the ground. Thus David overcame the Philistine with sling and stone; he struck the Philistine mortally, and did it without a sword. Then David ran and stood over him; with the Philistine’s own sword which he drew from its sheath he dispatched him and cut off his head. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 144:1B, 2, 9-10 R. (1) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war. R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! My refuge and my fortress, my stronghold, my deliverer, My shield, in whom I trust, who subdues my people under me. R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! O God, I will sing a new song to you; with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise, You who give victory to kings, and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword. R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock! Gospel: Mark 3:1-6 Jesus entered the synagogue. There was a man there who had a withered hand. They watched Jesus closely to see if he would cure him on the sabbath so that they might accuse him. He said to the man with the withered hand, “Come up here before us.” Then he said to the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath rather than to do evil, to save life rather than to destroy it?” But they remained silent. Looking around at them with anger and grieved at their hardness of heart, Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out and his hand was restored. The Pharisees went out and immediately took counsel with the Herodians against him to put him to death. NAB It doesn't matter that David is merely a boy and Goliath has been training as a warrior basically since he came from out of the womb. It doesn't matter that Goliath is nearly twice David's size. To David, those things do not matter. David knows his God and the power of God's name. He knows that God will keep him safe. “The Lord, who delivered me from the claws of the lion and the bear, will also keep me safe from the clutches of this Philistine,” he confidently proclaims. What gave David that great courage and confidence? Well, David knew the Lord, and he also knew the work of Lord within his life. Just as God had delivered him before, David knew He would keep him safe again. What about you? Have you claimed the story of your own life so securely that you walk with confidence that just as God delivered you from past experiences of sin or danger, that He will rescue you again in whatever you may be facing now or in the future? Five stones. David only took five stones from the stream. I'm reminded of the five loaves that fed the thousands. A small amount that can do so much. And it only took one. One stone and the power of God's name. We don't have to have very much. We can take the little we have with courage and faith in the Lord, and God will conquer overwhelmingly. The Lord is our Rock, the Psalm reads. He will fight for us. Maybe today you feel incapable, incompetent. Maybe you feel that you always have to keep the facade of perfection and have it all together. Jesus says TO YOU today: "Stretch out your hand!" It is He who trains your hands for battle and gives you strength even if you feel like your own hands are crippled, or even if they only hold a few stones to protect you from the giants in your life. The Lord is with you. Just as the Lord who delivered you from the claws of sin, suffering and danger in the past, to too TODAY will God keep you safe from whatever "Goliaths" you may be facing in your life. It's time to sing a new song to the Lord, ladies. A song of confidence and courage in the Lord! [bctt tweet="It's time to sing a new song to the Lord."] Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Sebastian, the patron of athletes, soldiers and even plague sufferers. Ask his intercession as you think about the ways in which God has rescued you in the past, and ask for courage and confidence in the Lord for whatever difficulties you may currently be facing. photo credit Mary Catherine Craige is a lover of creativity and learning new things. When she is not guiding the development of young children through Montessori methods, you can find her behind her harp, taking an art class, or writing in her journal. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 The LORD said to Samuel: “How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.” But Samuel replied: “How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me.” To this the LORD answered: “Take a heifer along and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do; you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.” Samuel did as the LORD had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, “Is your visit peaceful, O seer?” He replied: “Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.” He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves and invited them to the sacrifice. As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is here before him.” But the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel, who said, “The LORD has not chosen him.” Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.” Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The LORD said, “There–anoint him, for this is he!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David. When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 89:20, 21-22, 27-28 R. (21a) I have found David, my servant. Once you spoke in a vision, and to your faithful ones you said: “On a champion I have placed a crown; over the people I have set a youth.” R. I have found David, my servant. “I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him, That my hand may be always with him, and that my arm may make him strong.” R. I have found David, my servant. “He shall say of me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock, my savior.’ And I will make him the first-born, highest of the kings of the earth.” R. I have found David, my servant. Gospel: Mark 2:23-28 As Jesus was passing through a field of grain on the sabbath, his disciples began to make a path while picking the heads of grain. At this the Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the sabbath?” He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions were hungry? How he went into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of offering that only the priests could lawfully eat, and shared it with his companions?” Then he said to them, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath. That is why the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath.” NAB I have to come clean with you all. This has been a tough few months for me. I am pretty good at just rolling with life, the ups and the downs, but I knew I was in trouble when I just couldn’t get these devotionals written for you. I love Blessed is She. It is something that I believe really comes from the Lord. It is His project and He is granting me the privilege and the grace to work with Him to bring His word to the eyes and hearts of women around the word. But for the first time in a long time (like maybe ever?), I found myself reading His word and just being unable to delve into it. So I let the Scripture sit and I just ignored it. Like for weeks. Not the best way to deal with responsibilities and commitments, I know. And I prayed. A little. Not as much as I should have. Mostly I just felt guilty about not writing. Then just as the deadline hit I finally buckled down and prayed harder. I locked myself in my room with my computer and headphones. I quieted my heart. And cleared away my own stress and grief and shed some tears. Lots of tears actually. And then I listened to Him. The First Reading opens with “How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way…”. I like to think that I am a faithful servant of our Lord, but so often I struggle to command my will to the will of our Lord. I want something different. I want my kids to behave all the time. I want my body to be healthy and pain-free all the time. I want my husband to read my mind. I want more than 24 hours in the day. I want my mom to call me more often. Gosh, I want an awful lot. And when I start putting it in writing it looks pretty ridiculous. How long do we grieve for the things that don’t go our way? How much time and energy do we spend wishing, praying, and hoping for something that isn’t according to the Lord’s will? What does the Lord want from me? That is what I should be asking each day when I wake up. How does the Lord want me to respond to the realities of the life I have been given? Do I work with His grace or do I fight for the selfish and prideful desires in my heart? With this New Year maybe we can all resolve today, right now, to be little more like Samuel—to let go of our grief, to let go of our skepticism, to listen to the Lord, and join Him in His banquet. [bctt tweet="What does the Lord want from me?"] What can you let go of today so as to open your heart to the Lord? photo by Little Flower Studios 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: 1 Samuel 15:16-23 Samuel said to Saul: “Stop! Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” Saul replied, “Speak!” Samuel then said: “Though little in your own esteem, are you not leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD anointed you king of Israel and sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and put the sinful Amalekites under a ban of destruction. Fight against them until you have exterminated them.’ Why then have you disobeyed the LORD? You have pounced on the spoil, thus displeasing the LORD.” Saul answered Samuel: “I did indeed obey the LORD and fulfill the mission on which the LORD sent me. I have brought back Agag, and I have destroyed Amalek under the ban. But from the spoil the men took sheep and oxen, the best of what had been banned, to sacrifice to the LORD their God in Gilgal.” But Samuel said: “Does the LORD so delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obedience to the command of the LORD? Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission than the fat of rams. For a sin like divination is rebellion, and presumption is the crime of idolatry. Because you have rejected the command of the LORD, he, too, has rejected you as ruler.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 50:8-9, 16BC-17, 21 AND 23 R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God. “Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you, for your burnt offerings are before me always. I take from your house no bullock, no goats out of your fold.” R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God. “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, Though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God. “When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it? Or do you think that I am like yourself? I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes. He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me; and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God.” R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God. Gospel: Mark 2:18-22 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were accustomed to fast. People came to Jesus and objected, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” Jesus answered them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast on that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse. Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are ruined. Rather, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins.” NAB If there's one thing I miss from my good old "spiritual, not religious" days of college, it's being lazy. It was so easy to be spiritual because, being a self important 20-something, you can be spiritual about anything—late nights, early mornings, frozen pizza and bad wine. You can claim your spirituality anywhere, as long as it doesn't require that much from you. Oh, those were the good old days. Then something changed, maybe I changed or maybe the world changed or maybe I decided I wanted to change the world and somehow I knew that I couldn't do any of that in the happenstance, when-it-came-to-me way I had been approaching my faith for the last few years. I was very good at living my life, but who could say how well I was living the life God gave me? Looking back, a bit older and much wiser, I can answer this "not very." It was easy to let faith fill up the space I gave it. Like the wineskin and the old coat of the Gospel reading—it's easy to go about your faith life in a haphazard way, going by instinct and piecing things together a bit here and a bit there; but like the coat and the wineskin we know that this is not the way to best use your materials. I went to school to learn, essentially, how to sew. I know many correct ways to patch a hole and the first lesson that you often learn is that haphazard patching will just lead to a bigger hole. You prepare a tear—you may have to cut out a little bit more to get ride of the weak points. You prepare a fabric and not just anything will do. There is knowledge and skill that goes into making something new again. Just like a coat with a hole I needed to stop patching my beliefs with bits and pieces, because though it did the job, it wouldn't have held up in the long run. Just like the many pants and coats I've repaired over the years I need to prepare myself—snip out a little more over here, reinforce there, and sometimes I had to know when to just start over. It's not easier to live this way—it requires work and knowledge and skill. I have to give myself over to something bigger than myself and realize that my gut instinct is not always right, that my own will and whims do not always lead me down the right path. And just like that carefully patched and mended jacket, when done right with care and skill, I can emerge a little more worn, but a little bit better than I was before. [bctt tweet="Are you fully embracing the life God has in store for you?"] Where are you piecing together your life that needs a new clean seam? Where are you not fully embracing the life God has in store for you? Don't avoid it, go towards it. 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: Isaiah 62:1-5 For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. Nations shall behold your vindication, and all the kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem held by your God. No more shall people call you “Forsaken, “ or your land “Desolate, “ but you shall be called “My Delight, “ and your land “Espoused.” For the LORD delights in you and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10 R. (3) Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations. Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all you lands. Sing to the LORD; bless his name. R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations. Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations. Give to the LORD, you families of nations, give to the LORD glory and praise; give to the LORD the glory due his name! R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations. Worship the LORD in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth; Say among the nations: The LORD is king. He governs the peoples with equity. R. Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 Brothers and sisters: There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another, the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another, mighty deeds; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues; to another, interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes. Gospel: John 2:1-11 There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washings, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it. And when the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, without knowing where it came from — although the servers who had drawn the water knew —, the headwaiter called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves good wine first, and then when people have drunk freely, an inferior one; but you have kept the good wine until now.” Jesus did this as the beginning of his signs at Cana in Galilee and so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. I don't have an exciting testimony. I was brought up Catholic, never really "lost" my faith; somehow my faith has just grown slowly over time. It doesn't mean that I don't have an interesting story, but simply that my story doesn't look like an action movie but more a meandering novel. I bring this up because I don't think I've had this concrete experience with a brilliant and drastic "miracle" taking place in my midst like in today's Gospel. I don't have exact moments or memories where I instantly recognize the impossible and dramatic movements of God in my life. But then again, I know that He's been at work in my life in small, tender ways that gently have shown me His presence and will, His love and forgiveness. Today's Gospel reading is a pivotal reading not just from the aspect of us reading about it some 2000 years later in light of Biblical and Church history, but it was a pivotal moment in the life of Christ. This is Christ's first public miracle, the first time He steps in to our everyday human life that has a lot of things come up short, and miraculously fills our needs out of something very simple: from water. This Gospel is so big and important that sometimes I wonder if I can compare it to my own life. It's so hard for those of us living simple, ordinary lives where there is no dramatic miracle moment to recognize God working miracles in our lives. But that doesn't change the fact that He is. He is working miracles in our lives even if we don't see them, even if they take years to accomplish. The miracle may be our spouse. The miracle may be our child. The miracle may be physical or emotional healing. The miracle may God accepting our small prayers during the sacrifice of His son during the Mass and the saving of a unknown soul halfway around the world. [bctt tweet="God is working miracles in our lives even when it's hard to see."] Holy Spirit, open our eyes to the miracles that have been worked in our own lives. Thank you for the gifts we have been given and the marvelous deeds that have been done in our lives! photo by Sara Miller Christy Isinger is the mom to five lovely, loud children living in the Canadian wilds. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 9:1-4, 17-19; 10:1 There was a stalwart man from Benjamin named Kish, who was the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite. He had a son named Saul, who was a handsome young man. There was no other child of Israel more handsome than Saul; he stood head and shoulders above the people. Now the asses of Saul’s father, Kish, had wandered off. Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you and go out and hunt for the asses.” Accordingly they went through the hill country of Ephraim, and through the land of Shalishah. Not finding them there, they continued through the land of Shaalim without success. They also went through the land of Benjamin, but they failed to find the animals. When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD assured him, “This is the man of whom I told you; he is to govern my people.” Saul met Samuel in the gateway and said, “Please tell me where the seer lives.” Samuel answered Saul: “I am the seer. Go up ahead of me to the high place and eat with me today. In the morning, before dismissing you, I will tell you whatever you wish.” Then, from a flask he had with him, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head; he also kissed him, saying: “The LORD anoints you commander over his heritage. You are to govern the LORD’s people Israel, and to save them from the grasp of their enemies roundabout. “This will be the sign for you that the LORD has anointed you commander over his heritage.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad. O LORD, in your strength the king is glad; in your victory how greatly he rejoices! You have granted him his heart’s desire; you refused not the wish of his lips. R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad. For you welcomed him with goodly blessings, you placed on his head a crown of pure gold. He asked life of you: you gave him length of days forever and ever. R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad. Great is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you conferred upon him. For you made him a blessing forever; you gladdened him with the joy of your face. R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad. Gospel: Mark 2:13-17 Jesus went out along the sea. All the crowd came to him and he taught them. As he passed by, he saw Levi, son of Alphaeus, sitting at the customs post. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed Jesus. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners sat with Jesus and his disciples; for there were many who followed him. Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” NAB We all are accustomed to preventative care in medicine these days. We make sure we schedule our annual physicals, get dental cleanings, and take children to well-baby appointments. Even when we aren’t sick, physical health is on the modern mind all the time because we know how important everyday health is to the overall health of our bodies. Today’s Gospel was a bit of a jolt for me. Jesus says, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Even while exercising, watching my nutrition, and scheduling my annual check-ups to keep my body in tip-top shape, I find it easy to put myself in the category of the spiritually healthy and just coast along. I don’t let myself miss a couple workouts in a row, but I can let Confession slide and barely think twice. Just like when lack of care for my body opens me up to sickness, lack of spiritual care opens me up to sin. This lens helps me evaluate the state of my soul: do I need a trip to spiritual urgent care? Maybe it’s time to find an afternoon retreat. Just need a reminder to take my vitamins? I can set an alarm to pull me back into my prayer schedule. A round of antibiotics? Time for a novena. I’ll stop before I stretch this simile too thin, but take a minute to evaluate your spiritual life to see where it could use a little healing. [bctt tweet="Take a minute to evaluate your spiritual life to see where it could use healing."] How can you take care of your spiritual self today? Are you spending as much time caring for your soul as you do for your body? photo by Edenn Yorks Brigid Hogan loves the view of the Washington Monument from her apartment, her standing desk, the Green Bay Packers, and a good mystery. She tolerates taking the Metro to the office, where she works as a communications consultant. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 4:1-11 The Philistines gathered for an attack on Israel. Israel went out to engage them in battle and camped at Ebenezer, while the Philistines camped at Aphek. The Philistines then drew up in battle formation against Israel. After a fierce struggle Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who slew about four thousand men on the battlefield. When the troops retired to the camp, the elders of Israel said, “Why has the LORD permitted us to be defeated today by the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the LORD from Shiloh that it may go into battle among us and save us from the grasp of our enemies.” So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the LORD of hosts, who is enthroned upon the cherubim. The two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were with the ark of God. When the ark of the LORD arrived in the camp, all Israel shouted so loudly that the earth resounded. The Philistines, hearing the noise of shouting, asked, “What can this loud shouting in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” On learning that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp, the Philistines were frightened. They said, “Gods have come to their camp.” They said also, “Woe to us! This has never happened before. Woe to us! Who can deliver us from the power of these mighty gods? These are the gods that struck the Egyptians with various plagues and with pestilence. Take courage and be manly, Philistines; otherwise you will become slaves to the Hebrews, as they were your slaves. So fight manfully!” The Philistines fought and Israel was defeated; every man fled to his own tent. It was a disastrous defeat, in which Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were among the dead. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 44:10-11, 14-15, 24-25 R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. Yet now you have cast us off and put us in disgrace, and you go not forth with our armies. You have let us be driven back by our foes; those who hated us plundered us at will. R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. You made us the reproach of our neighbors, the mockery and the scorn of those around us. You made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. Why do you hide your face, forgetting our woe and our oppression? For our souls are bowed down to the dust, our bodies are pressed to the earth. R. Redeem us, Lord, because of your mercy. Gospel: Mark 1:40-45 A leper came to him and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, he dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere. NAB I talk. . . a lot. Just ask my husband. He knows precisely how many grey hairs I find on my head on any given day or the amount of peanut butter I globbed onto my banana this morning. It’s a curse, really (probably for him more than me—let’s be real here). But when something big happens. Oh, when something big happens, just you watch out. I will shout it from the rooftops, or type it out IN ALL CAPS WITH AN EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF EXCLAMATION MARKS FOR ALL TO SEE!!!!!!!!!! Because when something big happens, I share it. It’s like it’s my duty as a human being or something. This is precisely why the story about the leper has always resonated with me. I suppose it’s because I see so much of myself in him. Can’t we all, though? I mean, just take a look at Facebook. But I’m always left stumped by Jesus, because why would He want this beautiful miracle kept secret? Didn’t He want people to know Him as the Messiah? I suppose this is something we’ll never fully know, but I like to imagine. I imagine that when He stretched out His hand to touch the leper, He did it solely because of His intense love for that man—not for crowds, or notoriety, or fame. I imagine the compassion in His eyes and the care in His heart. I imagine the intimacy of that moment—The Creator recreating His created. Sometimes I think there are so many intimate moments we miss with God because of our need to immediately share them with others. The quiet sunsets we recycle through Instagram filters, the exhilarating crest of that wave we had to take a selfie in front of—sometimes those moments are meant for you. Only you. From Him. With love. [bctt tweet="Sometimes moments are meant for you. Only you. From Him. With love."] The next time you feel the urge to Instagram or tweet a moment, stop and take a few minutes with God. Just you and Him. photo by Jacqueline Kayleigh Brittany Calavitta is an enthusiastic advocate for a good book, strong coffee, and a hopeful heart. She currently resides in Irvine, California with her hipster husband and overweight Chihuahua. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10, 19-20 During the time young Samuel was minister to the LORD under Eli, a revelation of the LORD was uncommon and vision infrequent. One day Eli was asleep in his usual place. His eyes had lately grown so weak that he could not see. The lamp of God was not yet extinguished, and Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was. The LORD called to Samuel, who answered, “Here I am.” Samuel ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. You called me.” “I did not call you,” Eli said. “Go back to sleep.” So he went back to sleep. Again the LORD called Samuel, who rose and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “You called me.” But Eli answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back to sleep.” At that time Samuel was not familiar with the LORD, because the LORD had not revealed anything to him as yet. The LORD called Samuel again, for the third time. Getting up and going to Eli, he said, “Here I am. You called me.” Then Eli understood that the LORD was calling the youth. So Eli said to Samuel, “Go to sleep, and if you are called, reply, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’” When Samuel went to sleep in his place, the LORD came and revealed his presence, calling out as before, “Samuel, Samuel!” Samuel answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” Samuel grew up, and the LORD was with him, not permitting any word of his to be without effect. Thus all Israel from Dan to Beersheba came to know that Samuel was an accredited prophet of the LORD. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:2 AND 5, 7-8A, 8B-9, 10 R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. I have waited, waited for the LORD, and he stooped toward me and heard my cry. Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust; who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood. R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. 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. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. “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. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. R. Here am I, Lord; I come to do your will. Gospel: Mark 1:29-39 On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever. They immediately told him about her. He approached, grasped her hand, and helped her up. Then the fever left her and she waited on them. When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him. Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. Simon and those who were with him pursued him and on finding him said, “Everyone is looking for you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the nearby villages that I may preach there also. For this purpose have I come.” So he went into their synagogues, preaching and driving out demons throughout the whole of Galilee. NAB Have you ever gotten up early to spend some time in prayer or, I don't know, a shower perhaps, only to find yourself, ahem, pursued? I read today's Gospel and I was like, "PREACH Lord Jesus." The irony wasn't lost on me that the Lord had just spent the previous day curing literally the entire town, driving out demons, staying up all night with a nursing baby, etc. and then He rises very early to get a little quality time in with His Father, and what do you know? The disciples come after Him. Now, because I am not God, my response in this scenario would have been a little different. He looks at them, these intrusive disciples. And He doesn't shriek about being overwhelmed or overworked. He doesn't angrily slosh His coffee mug down on the counter and heave a persecuted sigh and start the morning routine . . . nope. He gets up. He gets up and says, in effect, let's go. This is what I came for. Next village, next synagogue, next flock of demons. Jesus recognized both the urgency of His mission and His very human need to regroup and spend time in silence. And when the two collided, He willingly submitted His secondary vocation to His primary responsibility. Jesus, after all, was not called to the contemplative, cloistered life either. Born into a family, living in community with a group of a dozen other men, traveling from town to town meeting and serving and breaking bread with hundreds and hundreds of people. His life was full, and the demands placed on Him were intense. And He looked them in the eye and said "for this purpose have I come." Would that I could say the same to every midnight feeding, every sibling throw down, every disappointing setback visited upon my perfect plans by some needy human in my life. [bctt tweet="The demands placed on Jesus were intense. Still, he said, Let's go."] Lord, show me my purpose from Your perspective, and give me the grace to recognize it when it intrudes upon my quiet time. photo credit Jenny Uebbing is a freelance writer and a blogger and editor for Catholic News Agency. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband Dave and their growing family. You can find out more about her thoughts on Catholicism, sex, politics and parenting here.

First Reading: 1 Samuel 1:9-20 Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh, and presented herself before the LORD; at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the doorpost of the LORD’s temple. In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously, and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives; neither wine nor liquor shall he drink, and no razor shall ever touch his head.” As she remained long at prayer before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her, “How long will you make a drunken show of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” “It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered. “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD. Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left. She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared downcast. Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD, and then returned to their home in Ramah. When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, the LORD remembered her. She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him. Responsorial Psalm: 1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8ABCD R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. “My heart exults in the LORD, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.” R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. “The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.” R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. “The LORD puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he humbles, he also exalts.” R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. “He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.” R. My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior. Gospel: Mark 1:21-28 Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee. NAB It seems to me that belief in God, even belief in a specifically Christian God, is mostly considered to be acceptable in polite society. But mention the Devil? You’re probably going to get written off as a loony reeeaal quick. But there it is, in the Bible. Satan is real. Demons are real. Infestation, oppression, obsession, possession? All real things. Every Catholic diocese has at least one exorcist. It’s not just for the movies. As Pope Francis said, “This generation, and many others, have been led to believe that the devil is a myth, a figure, an idea, the idea of evil. But the devil exists and we must fight against him.” But, as C.S. Lewis said (in the introduction to The Screwtape Letters), “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist or magician with the same delight.” So how do we find that balance? How exactly do we cultivate a disinterested belief in evil spirits? First, know your place. The Devil needs an invitation. Don’t give it to him. Avoid all occult practices and situations. Don’t click on that link. Don’t mess with fortune tellers or ouija boards or tarot cards. Second, know his place. It’s easy to forget that the Devil is not God’s counter-point, but rather Saint Michael’s. As Catholics we should believe in devils, but understand that their place is far below God. They picked the losing side. They don’t have power over us if we don’t give it to them. Jesus commands the unclean spirits and they obey Him. We’re good. [bctt tweet="Jesus commands the unclean spirits and they obey Him. We’re good."] If you’re worried, say the Saint Michael prayer and consult a priest. photo by Madi Myers-Cook 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 Samuel 1:1-8 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim. He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless. This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were ministering as priests of the LORD. When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice, he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her, though the LORD had made her barren. Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her that the LORD had left her barren. This went on year after year; each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD, Peninnah would approach her, and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat. Her husband Elkanah used to ask her: “Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat? Why do you grieve? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19 R. 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. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones. O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the son of your handmaid; you have loosed my bonds. R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. My vows to the LORD I will pay in the presence of all his people, In the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. R. To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise. Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him. NAB When I was in fifth grade, I saw the movie Jesus of Nazareth for the first time. This particular Gospel scene left a big impression. Always before, when I’d heard about Jesus calling his apostles, it sounded easy and unremarkable. Of course you would leave your nets and come when Jesus called you! It’s Jesus, after all! But thanks to the film, I felt as if I were there, seeing the events happen for the first time. There was no comfortable hindsight, no assurance that this choice would be the right one. There were only some fishermen, who had no idea how the story would end, throwing their lot in with a charismatic man whose words somehow struck a chord deep inside them. Their faith astonished me, and it still does. I’m rather glad I wasn’t one of the Apostles, having to recognize Jesus and decide to embrace the uncertainty of following Him. But in reality, the Apostles’ choice is one that we all face multiple times each day. We all have to recognize Jesus and make the choice to follow where He invites us to go, and I’ve found that it is anything but easy. Sometimes Jesus is there in the person who really needs a listening ear, the person to whom I give only cursory attention because I have a schedule to keep. Sometimes Jesus is there in the work colleague who is causing me endless frustration, but I am too locked into my own way of seeing things to understand her perspective. Often Jesus is in that little nudging voice that tells me to change some habit of mine, but I’m too caught up in my own nets to respond. What Jesus may be asking me to do is too hard, too risky. In those moments, it’s easier not to recognize him. But if Jesus wants our greatest joy—and we know He does—then responding to His call is ultimately how we will find it. That response takes effort, and often takes a lot of courage. But it also takes us on a journey that, in the end, is always worth the risk. [bctt tweet="If Jesus wants our greatest joy, then responding to His call is ultimately how we will find it."] What is one place where you recognized Jesus today? Did you follow Him? photo by Sara Miller Ginny Kubitz Moyer is a mother, high school English teacher, and BBC period drama junkie. She is the author of Random MOMents of Grace: Experiencing God in the Adventures of Motherhood and Mary and Me: Catholic Women Reflect on the Mother of God. Ginny lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two boys, and about thirty thousand Legos. You can find out more about her here.

The Baptism of the Lord First Reading: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 Thus says the LORD: Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations, not crying out, not shouting, not making his voice heard in the street. a bruised reed he shall not break, and a smoldering wick he shall not quench, until he establishes justice on the earth; the coastlands will wait for his teaching. I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice, I have grasped you by the hand; I formed you, and set you as a covenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 29:1-2, 3-4, 3, 9-10 R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. Give to the LORD, you sons of God, give to the LORD glory and praise, Give to the LORD the glory due his name; adore the LORD in holy attire. R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. The voice of the LORD is over the waters, the LORD, over vast waters. The voice of the LORD is mighty; the voice of the LORD is majestic. R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. The God of glory thunders, and in his temple all say, “Glory!” The LORD is enthroned above the flood; the LORD is enthroned as king forever. R. The Lord will bless his people with peace. Second Reading: Acts 10:34-38 Peter proceeded to speak to those gathered in the house of Cornelius, saying: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him. You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power. He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Gospel: Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 The people were filled with expectation, and all were asking in their hearts whether John might be the Christ. John answered them all, saying, “I am baptizing you with water, but one mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to loosen the thongs of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” NAB My prayer book includes a beautiful homily from Saint Gregory of Nazianzus for this feast, and I turn it to again and again. In it, Saint Gregory invites us to participate in the Baptism of Our Lord: “You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the great light, bathed in the glory of him who is the light of heaven.” That kind of glory is incredibly difficult to envision. Heaven-opening, God-speaking, dove-descending glory. But we are bathed in it. We are living in that glory every single day. If I imagine myself standing on the banks of the Jordan, I think there’s no way I would miss the main event. Obviously, I would realize I had witnessed a moment of revelation. But then I remember, I am living in the presence of this revelation every day. I’m always standing with Christ, and so often, I miss the radiant light just by not paying enough attention. If I had been baptized that day, would I have missed that moment, too? Like the people in the gospel, I am filled with expectation, but when my eyes are turned away from Jesus, my expectations get reset to what this world offers. But John’s expectations remain high and turned toward heaven. The crowds are clamoring for Christ, and John doesn’t want them to settle for less. Don’t look for a prophet, John is saying, when the Messiah walks in your midst. High expectations. They can sound dangerous, like the set-up for a fall. But we need to keep our spiritual expectations high to see the glory God offers us a share in. When we settle for the earthly good, when our expectations are low, we can miss Jesus’s invitation to stand by His side and be blessed with the very benediction the Father speaks over Him. We are called to stand in His light and share in his life. We are the daughters of a God who calls us beloved. With us, He is well-pleased. [bctt tweet="We are the daughters of a God who calls us beloved. "] Christ's light pours over you every day. What is His glory illuminating in your life? How can you radiate that light for others to see today? Brigid Hogan loves the view of the Washington Monument from her apartment, her standing desk, the Green Bay Packers, and a good mystery. She tolerates taking the Metro to the office, where she works as a communications consultant. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 John 5:14-21 Beloved: We have this confidence in him that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, we know that what we have asked him for is ours. If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly, he should pray to God and he will give him life. This is only for those whose sin is not deadly. There is such a thing as deadly sin, about which I do not say that you should pray. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not deadly. We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin; but the one begotten by God he protects, and the Evil One cannot touch him. We know that we belong to God, and the whole world is under the power of the Evil One. We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us discernment to know the one who is true. And we are in the one who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Children, be on your guard against idols. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B R. 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: John 3:22-30 Jesus and his disciples went into the region of Judea, where he spent some time with them baptizing. John was also baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was an abundance of water there, and people came to be baptized, for John had not yet been imprisoned. Now a dispute arose between the disciples of John and a Jew about ceremonial washings. So they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing and everyone is coming to him.” John answered and said, “No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said that I am not the Christ, but that I was sent before him. The one who has the bride is the bridegroom; the best man, who stands and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine has been made complete. He must increase; I must decrease.” “We know that anyone begotten by God does not sin.” Me? Are you talking to me? Because I do believe I am a child of God, but I am so often discouraged about the way sin repeatedly worms its ways into my days. I wonder what the trick is to just get it right finally. When will I finally be holy? Sometimes I am quite certain that I am my own worst enemy. But the Scripture reminds us today that we have an enemy, the Evil One, who controls the world around us. He has rigged the game for us to lose. I am not sure whether to feel better knowing it’s not just me or despair because how in the world am I ever supposed to overcome that deficit? I just want to love God and others well. I want to be true to the One who is true. Satan gets in my way. Sin gets in my way. But I get in my own way too. I trip over my own two feet so often when I take my eyes off my own path to watch what’s happening in someone else’s lane. Maybe it feels like my journey is too slow, arduous. Maybe it feels like I’m running low on fuel. Maybe it feels like I have come to a stop while everyone else is gaining speed in life. Whatever it is that calls me to let my gaze wander from own path and sends me drifting on the waves of self-doubt, the end result is the same. Worry about myself, what I’m doing wrong, why God isn’t blessing me means my focus is all internal, me, me, me. The deeper I gaze into my own issues, the less space there is for Him to come do the very thing He came to do—save me from myself. We are moving from the days of the tiny Babe lying vulnerable in a manger to the time dedicated to ordering our lives to life of the Master, who showed us that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Let me enter that time remembering to get myself out of His way so I can walk in truth and find the fullness of life—victorious over sin, Satan, and my own self-seeking. [bctt tweet="I just want to love God and others well. I want to be true to the One who is true."] Ask yourself today where you are getting God's way. Where do you need to decrease so that He can increase? photo by Madi Myers-Cook 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.

First Reading: 1 John 5:5-13 Beloved: Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? This is the one who came through water and Blood, Jesus Christ, not by water alone, but by water and Blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, and the Spirit is truth. So there are three who testify, the Spirit, the water, and the Blood, and the three are of one accord. If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has this testimony within himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar by not believing the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 147:12-13, 14-15, 19-20 R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Glorify the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children within you. R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. He has granted peace in your borders; with the best of wheat he fills you. He sends forth his command to the earth; swiftly runs his word! R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. He has proclaimed his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel. He has not done thus for any other nation; his ordinances he has not made known to them. Alleluia. R. Praise the Lord, Jerusalem. Gospel: Luke 5:12-16 It happened that there was a man full of leprosy in one of the towns where Jesus was; and when he saw Jesus, he fell prostrate, pleaded with him, and said, “Lord, if you wish, you can make me clean.” Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, “I do will it. Be made clean.” And the leprosy left him immediately. Then he ordered him not to tell anyone, but “Go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The report about him spread all the more, and great crowds assembled to listen to him and to be cured of their ailments, but he would withdraw to deserted places to pray. ESV Man, I always get hung up on these words, “Then he ordered him not to tell anyone.” Why? Why wouldn’t Jesus want everyone to know ofHis wonderful deeds and mercy? I think the easy answer would be to think that Jesus was afraid of being persecuted for his actions. But we all know that can’t be true, right? So, what’s the real reason? Isn't there something about talents and bushel baskets and what not in the Bible? It seems to me that Jesus didn’t want publicity over His miracles because that just wasn’t the point. Of course He would heal people when they showed great faith and trust in Him—He is a kind, loving God. But He didn’t come down to earth to magically heal all of our suffering and then make His merry way back up to Heaven. He knew the world would always be full of suffering; we sealed that deal many, many years ago. Instead, he came to save us from eternal suffering caused by our own sinfulness. And by making the focus of his mission to be the grand miracles, it would have taken away from the real purpose: to show us how to live in order to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So, what do we take from this? We should be doing great things for our brothers and sisters, but we should not be seeking glorification from it. We serve simply because it is the right thing to do. And we must be humble in our servitude. Our ultimate goal should be to live our lives like we want to go to Heaven and to help others do the same. Great acts are only a part of that lifestyle. In order to live this way, we can perform great acts (or small acts with great love). But the acts are not the main event. They are simply one of the means to the real message: love in the same way God loves us. [bctt tweet="Love in the same way God loves us."] Perform a simple act of kindness today just out of love. Don't expect anything in return. Simply do it because you want to love Jesus more. photo by Sara Miller Jenna Hines has teeny army of three children and is married to a bearded fellow named Mike. A former high school English teacher, she now stays at home where she writes and runs a crafty embroidery business. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 John 4:19–5:4 Beloved, we love God because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. In this way we know that we love the children of God when we love God and obey his commandments. For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 14 AND 15BC, 17 R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. From fraud and violence he shall redeem them, and precious shall their blood be in his sight. May they be prayed for continually; day by day shall they bless him. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. May his name be blessed forever; as long as the sun his name shall remain. In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim his happiness. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. Gospel: Luke 4:14-22 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news of him spread throughout the whole region. He taught in their synagogues and was praised by all. He came to Nazareth, where he had grown up, and went according to his custom into the synagogue on the sabbath day. He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord. Rolling up the scroll, he handed it back to the attendant and sat down, and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him. He said to them, “Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke highly of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. NAB We're supposed to love our neighbors. Oh, yes, I love my neighbor. I wave and smile. I mail fudge to friends in need. I volunteer my time. Aren't I just so great? But the First Reading from Saint John makes me gulp. I love God but I don't always love my family. I don't treat them like I love them, those closest to me, and that's profoundly sad. It renders my love of God incomplete. We are blessed to have my parents live with us part-time. They're still active, healthy, and young so it's not for their benefit but ours. The kids adore them and have a deep relationship with them. When they're not at their home in Wisconsin, they're with us. And I can run to drop our eldest at his nature school a few afternoons a week while the two littles nap because my mom is here. And my dad can drive up to the train station to get my husband in the (already) dark, cold nights instead of me bundling up all the kids to do it. And we can slip away after bedtime to clear our heads with some tea and conversation while my mom continues to remind the kids that it is, indeed bedtime. Of course I love them, but I'm short tempered, cranky, and dissatisfied when they don't help me the way I want them to. I'm quick to criticize in my heart. I'm a wretched brat some days. And these are the people I love so much, and am seeing in front of me. If I treat them this way, how can I love the God I cannot see, as Saint John asks? It can be easier to love our distant neighbor than those close (or inside) our home. [bctt tweet="Whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen."] I'm going to pray for you that you're able to love your family more completely, and I'm going to ask for the graces to be a more gracious daughter, sister, wife, and mother. If your family has some deeper issues and need healing, perhaps consider family counseling to enable you to love each other more fully. Family relationships are complicated and we need all the help we can get. photo credit 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.

First Reading: 1 John 4:11-18 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us. This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us of his Spirit. Moreover, we have seen and testify that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world. Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God. We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. In this is love brought to perfection among us, that we have confidence on the day of judgment because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 10, 12-13 R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts; the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. Gospel: Mark 6:45-52 After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied, Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. And when he had taken leave of them, he went off to the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore. Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing, for the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely astounded. They had not understood the incident of the loaves. On the contrary, their hearts were hardened. NAB If we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is brought to perfection in us. I don’t know about you, sisters, but I am far from perfect when it comes to love. I get frustrated with my husband; I lose patience with my refusing-to-nap baby—and these are the people I love most in this world! Like I said: far from perfect. But perfection is a steep order! How can I be perfect in something so difficult and complicated as love? What does perfect love even look like? John tells us in the First Reading today: God. God is love. God, who sent us His beloved Son (Emmanuel: God with us!). And His Son, Jesus—the King of Kings, Prince of Peace, and Savior of the world—came to us in the most quiet, unassuming, humble way. He was born to a teenage girl with a carpenter husband in a lowly manger. And this? This is perfect love. How often do we fail to recognize Love in our midst? The disciples in today’s Gospel completely missed the boat (pun intended) when they saw Jesus walking on the water. Honestly, I think I might have reacted the same way. I wonder, too, how I would have reacted if I heard the news that, Hark! Christ is born! The newborn king! In a stable. To a virgin. Umm . . . excuse me? It’s shocking! Sisters, will you join me in prayer? Let’s pray that our hearts would not be hardened to seeing God’s love for us, especially in the most unexpected of people and places. Let’s pray that fear would not rule our hearts or lives. Let’s pray that in choosing to love, we might be Christ on earth for one another. For when we choose love, we acknowledge Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of the world. He is truly with us. May we spend our lives striving to love perfectly, so that we might spend eternity with Love Himself. Amen? Amen! [bctt tweet="How often do we fail to recognize Love in our midst?"] In this new year, how can we love more perfectly? Spend some time with God today. Ask Him to soften your heart and show you where He is calling you to grow in love. photo by Sara Miller Elise Howe is a devoted wife, new 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.

Memorial of Saint John Neumann First Reading: 1 John 4:7-10 Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8 R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. The mountains shall yield peace for the people, and the hills justice. He shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. Justice shall flower in his days, and profound peace, till the moon be no more. May he rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you. Gospel: Mark 6:34-44 When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. By now it was already late and his disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already very late. Dismiss them so that they can go to the surrounding farms and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” He said to them in reply, “Give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Are we to buy two hundred days’ wages worth of food and give it to them to eat?” He asked them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out they said, “Five loaves and two fish.” So he gave orders to have them sit down in groups on the green grass. The people took their places in rows by hundreds and by fifties. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; he also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied. And they picked up twelve wicker baskets full of fragments and what was left of the fish. Those who ate of the loaves were five thousand men. NAB Whenever I go clothes shopping (which I only do out of necessity), I instinctively say a prayer to find what I need for a good price in the right size and quickly. In some ways it seems silly to pray for that, but it is what I have always done. My mom always did when we went shopping growing up, especially for things like prom dresses or the right shoes for my flat, archless feet. And even for my wedding dress, which we found the first day we went shopping and bought off the rack for $99. I have a lot of confidence in praying the shopping prayer. And if I do not find what I am looking for, I figure, I can do without it or I am just at the wrong store. But why do I pray it? What has my mom taught me in teaching me to pray for something that is just a small part of life? There are so many hard things for which we are asked to pray: for dying people, for sick people, for healthy pregnancies, for world peace, for so many weighty matters. She taught me that the little things matter, too. Jesus performed many miracles, curing sick, raising people from the dead, casting out demons. But He also attended to the more basic necessities, like one simple meal for a crowd of people. Saint John encourages us to love one another, and then he gives God’s gift of His Son as an example of this love. And when I look at how Jesus loved, He loved the whole of each person. He loved their souls and their bodies. He healed both. He cared about the little things. Because of my mom, I pray for the little things all the time. I pray for my baby to take a restful nap and to sleep well at night. I pray for my cold to go away. I pray to do my work well. I pray to care for my children well. I pray for the weather to be nice for important events. I pray to love better. And my children pray the same way. They love to pray for whatever comes to mind, because they know that God cares about the little things. [bctt tweet="God cares about the little things."] When we are in the habit of praying for every little thing, we become more confident in God's love for us, and we find ourselves in constant conversation with Him. As you go through your day, don't forget to ask God for the little things and thank Him for everything. photo by Madi Myers-Cook Susanna Spencer once studied theology and philosophy, but now happily cares for her three adorable little girls, new baby boy, and her dear husband in Saint Paul. She loves beautiful liturgies, cooking delicious meals, baking amazing sweets, reading good books, raising her children, casually following baseball, and talking to her philosopher husband. You can find out more about her here.