First Reading: Wisdom 2:23-3:9 God formed man to be imperishable; the image of his own nature he made them. But by the envy of the Devil, death entered the world, and they who are in his possession experience it. But the souls of the just are in the hand of God, and no torment shall touch them. They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; and their passing away was thought an affliction and their going forth from us, utter destruction. But they are in peace. For if before men, indeed, they be punished, yet is their hope full of immortality; Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, because God tried them and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace, he proved them, and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord shall be their King forever. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love: Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with his elect. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19 R. (2a) I will bless the Lord at all times. I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall be ever in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the LORD; the lowly will hear me and be glad. R. I will bless the Lord at all times. The LORD has eyes for the just, and ears for their cry. The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. R. I will bless the Lord at all times. When the just cry out, the LORD hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. R. I will bless the Lord at all times. Gospel: Luke 17:7-10 Jesus said to the Apostles: “Who among you would say to your servant who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’? Would he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat. Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink. You may eat and drink when I am finished’? Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded? So should it be with you. When you have done all you have been commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” NAB I've been reading Gretchen Rubin's new book Better Than Before, a book that explores the various ways we develop good habits and bad, while looking more deeply at reasons why cultivating good habits can be so difficult. But I'm reminded today of Rubin's thoughts and research when it comes to rewards and habit forming. Rubin shows research and a lot of different examples of why the idea of a reward isn't a great way to get yourself to commit to lasting, positive habits. Mostly because while a good thing may be a carrot to propel you forward in good habit forming, it doesn't help as much in moments of difficulty and when the reward ends you're more likely to abandon the habit altogether. Rubin also makes the important connection that long lasting positive habit change is best done when the person has an internal incentive. We need to want the habit change not for an external reward, but for the personal satisfaction of having accomplished it. I thought of this example of human nature and habits when reading today's readings. At first glance it seems great that we who trust in the Lord will abide with Him in love—but then Jesus gives us a reminder that just because we do what God has commanded of us doesn't necessarily mean we deserve special treatment. We are just doing what's expected of us. Following Jesus shouldn't earn us any extra incentives because a relationship with Jesus is reward enough. And just like making long-lasting, positive habit change in our lives, we can't set out in our lives as Christians to follow the Ten Commandments, try and be a good people, even go to Mass every week, and expect to be showered with superficial and/or earthly perks. We need to recognize that abiding in Christ's love is our true goal and our true reward. [bctt tweet="Abiding in Christ's love is our true goal and our true reward."] Lord Jesus, help us focus on serving you and being faithful today in big and small things. Help us keep our eyes on you. photo by Jacqueline Kayleigh 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: Ezekiel 47:1-2, 8-9, 12 The angel brought me back to the entrance of the temple, and I saw water flowing out from beneath the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the façade of the temple was toward the east; the water flowed down from the southern side of the temple, south of the altar. He led me outside by the north gate, and around to the outer gate facing the east, where I saw water trickling from the southern side. He said to me, “This water flows into the eastern district down upon the Arabah, and empties into the sea, the salt waters, which it makes fresh. Wherever the river flows, every sort of living creature that can multiply shall live, and there shall be abundant fish, for wherever this water comes the sea shall be made fresh. Along both banks of the river, fruit trees of every kind shall grow; their leaves shall not fade, nor their fruit fail. Every month they shall bear fresh fruit, for they shall be watered by the flow from the sanctuary. Their fruit shall serve for food, and their leaves for medicine.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6,8-9 R. (5) The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High! God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. Therefore, we fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea. R. The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High! There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High. God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn. R. The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High! The LORD of hosts is with us; our stronghold is the God of Jacob. Come! behold the deeds of the LORD, the astounding things he has wrought on earth. R. The waters of the river gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High! Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:9C-11, 16-17 Brothers and sisters: You are God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ. Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for the temple of God, which you are, is holy. Gospel: John 2:13-22 Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me. At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken. NAB God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. It might have been one of the first Bible verses I ever memorized as a child, right behind John 3:16. In those days, I memorized Scripture for stickers, pencils, pads and other Sunday School rewards, stacking up my piles of treasures on my dresser at home as evidence of my Biblical prowess. I memorized the books of the Bible and was acknowledged by my peers as one of the fastest when it came time to look something up. Now, as an adult, I have a lot of Scripture in my head. Almost every day, something reminds me of a Bible verse, and I still know where to find many of them. But do their words make it past my head and into my heart? God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in distress. When I get a worrisome bill or some bad news, I admit that God isn’t the first place I usually turn for refuge and strength. God’s ever-present help isn’t often the first thing I think of. No, I usually start spinning strategies and solutions in my mind, trying to see how I can solve the problem on my own before I consider that God might have a better way for me. As long as the words of the Bible stay on the page in front of us, they don’t have to change our behavior. That’s easier. Reading the words of scripture daily is a good start toward allowing them to transform us, but it’s only getting part of the way there. Truly meditating on Scripture means taking it into our hearts, letting it take root there and allowing it to change us from the inside. That process can take a long, long time . . . a lifetime, even. Maybe someday, I’ll be able to remember God as my refuge in the moments when I first start to feel anxious. Until that day, I’ll have to rely on my favorite office supply—the post it note—to keep the words of God before me as reminders of His constant love and care. [bctt tweet="Truly meditating on Scripture means taking it into our hearts...and allowing it to change us from the inside."] photo by Sara Miller The next time a spiritual quote or verse of Scripture strikes you as especially meaningful, write it down on a post-it note or pad and put it where you’ll see it every day. As you read your special verse, ask the Holy Spirit to help you move it from lovely words on paper to a lovely truth in your heart. Abbey Dupuy is a homeschooling mama to preschooler twins, a first grader and a new baby. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: 1 Kings 17:10-16 In those days, Elijah the prophet went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the entrance of the city, a widow was gathering sticks there; he called out to her, "Please bring me a small cupful of water to drink." She left to get it, and he called out after her, "Please bring along a bit of bread." She answered, "As the LORD, your God, lives, I have nothing baked; there is only a handful of flour in my jar and a little oil in my jug. Just now I was collecting a couple of sticks, to go in and prepare something for myself and my son; when we have eaten it, we shall die." Elijah said to her, "Do not be afraid. Go and do as you propose. But first make me a little cake and bring it to me. Then you can prepare something for yourself and your son. For the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'The jar of flour shall not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the day when the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" She left and did as Elijah had said. She was able to eat for a year, and he and her son as well; the jar of flour did not go empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, as the LORD had foretold through Elijah. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 146:7, 8-9, 9-10 R. (1b) Praise the Lord, my soul! The LORD keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. R. Praise the Lord, my soul! The LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD raises up those who were bowed down; the LORD loves the just. The LORD protects strangers. R. Praise the Lord, my soul! The fatherless and the widow he sustains, but the way of the wicked he thwarts. The LORD shall reign forever; your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia. R. Praise the Lord, my soul! Second Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28 Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him. Gospel: Mark 12:38-4 In the course of his teaching Jesus said to the crowds, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation." He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." NAB The widow in the First Reading and the widow in the Gospel lived about 800 years apart and yet they shared a common bond. Both were entirely dependent upon the charity of others. Despite their poverty and their littleness (or maybe because of it), both stand as sparkling jewels in the story of God. They are the women of gracious generosity. The widows had next to nothing. The widow from Zaraphath would have been mindful of her own needs, but she was likely even more concerned with the needs of her son. There was a famine in the land. Food was scarce and she was a woman of no means. In the Gospel, we know that the poor woman had but two small coins. Both widows acted boldly and generously in faith. Independent of one another and separated by nearly a millennium, each woman gave from her poverty in an act of humble faith. They both knew that everything they had was from God. His protection and provision—even though appearing small by the standards of the world—were obviously abundant to the women. They recognized the plenty. And they gave it back to the Giver. Further, they each gave quietly. They didn't look for fanfare or applause. The widow from Zaraphath set a humble meal before Elijah from a place of hunger, not a banquet on a wide table from a seat of honor. She gave in faith in the quiet of her home, little and hidden, but mighty and heroic. The widow in the presence of Jesus knew her gift paled in comparison to large sums being given with great fanfare. Still, she went forward to offer the little she had. And Jesus noticed. He noticed. He knew. God saw the meager oil and bread offered to the stranger and He saw two small coins dropped into the treasury. And He blessed. We know that the widow and her son had enough to eat until the famine left their land. The poor widow? Jesus called His disciples to learn from her example. He made clear to them how well pleased He was with her total self-giving. She held nothing back. She offered all for her God. [bctt tweet="What do we offer today?"] What do we offer today? photo by Sara Miller Elizabeth Foss is a wife, the mother of nine, and a grandmother. She finds the cacophony of big family imperfection to be the perfect place to learn to walk in the unforced rhythms of grace. You can learn more about her here.

First Reading: Romans 15:14-21 I myself am convinced about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to admonish one another. But I have written to you rather boldly in some respects to remind you, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in performing the priestly service of the Gospel of God, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast in what pertains to God. For I will not dare to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to lead the Gentiles to obedience by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching the Gospel of Christ. Thus I aspire to proclaim the Gospel not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on another’s foundation, but as it is written: Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 98:1, 2-3Ab, 3CD-4 R. (see 2b) The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for him, his holy arm. R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. The LORD has made his salvation known: in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice. He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation by our God. Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; break into song; sing praise. R. The Lord has revealed to the nations his saving power. Gospel: Luke 16:1-8 Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a steward who was reported to him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said, ‘What is this I hear about you? Prepare a full account of your stewardship, because you can no longer be my steward.’ The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me? I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do so that, when I am removed from the stewardship, they may welcome me into their homes.’ He called in his master’s debtors one by one. To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.’ Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note; write one for eighty.’ And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light.” NAB The parable of the dishonest steward is one of those confusing parables—it sounds like Jesus is praising a lousy and deceitful servant. While I think we can safely say that Jesus is not calling us to be irresponsible and then to cheat others to cover our backsides, He does commend the steward for his resourcefulness and suggests we could learn a few things from him. Selfishly pursue your best interests. All of the steward’s actions were motivated out of selfishness. As Christians we are called to lay down our lives for God and for others, the opposite of selfishness. But when it comes to salvation we need to desire it, we need to pursue it selfishly. A life with Jesus is the very best thing for us and we need to make sure nothing gets in the way of that. And when we’ve made our relationship with Jesus our top priority, we will actually be able to better serve those around us. Use the time you have left wisely. The steward knew that his days as steward were numbered, so he used the last of his time, energy, and resources to make sure his future was taken care of. We should be doing same. The old adage goes, treat every day like it’s your last. And they are words of truth, because we really don’t know when our lives here on earth will end, and when we will be called to give an account of ourselves. We should always be living with our eyes fixed on eternity. Don’t leave the future up to chance. The steward wasn’t going to just hope for the best after he lost his job. He made certain that he would be looked out for. We are coming up on the end of the Church year where we look to the coming of Christ as King. We are reminded that Jesus is coming again, and we’d best be ready for Him. This means being alert, making use of the sacraments, especially that of confession. Make a daily examination of conscience and ask yourself, “am I ready for Jesus to come again?” [bctt tweet="We are reminded that Jesus is coming again, and we’d best be ready for Him."] How can I better use my time, energy and resources to serve Jesus and advance His kingdom? Lord, show me the way. Photo by Jacque Kayleigh Anna Coyne is a wife, mother, knitter, gardener, and convert to the Catholic faith. Read more about her here.

First Reading: Romans 14:7-12 Brothers and sisters: None of us lives for oneself, and no one dies for oneself. For if we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord; so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For this is why Christ died and came to life, that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why then do you judge your brother or sister? Or you, why do you look down on your brother or sister? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bend before me, and every tongue shall give praise to God. So then each of us shall give an account of himself to God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 27:1BCDE, 4, 13-14 R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom should I fear? The LORD is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. One thing I ask of the LORD; this I seek: To dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, That I may gaze on the loveliness of the LORD and contemplate his temple. R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD with courage; be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD. R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Gospel: Luke 15:1-10 The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So Jesus addressed this parable to them. “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost one until he finds it? And when he does find it, he sets it on his shoulders with great joy and, upon his arrival home, he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ I tell you, in just the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.“Or what woman having ten coins and losing one would not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching carefully until she finds it? And when she does find it, she calls together her friends and neighbors and says to them, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.’ In just the same way, I tell you, there will be rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” NAB A little warning—I am a nerd. I am a scientist, I am a dentist, I am an explorer, I am always wondering. The physical world around us completely fascinates me. Whether it is the intricacies of a spider’s web, the colors that dance off the clouds after a storm, the architecture of the human tooth, the complex development of a human being in the womb—it is so stinking mesmerizing. (Nerd alert.) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. We are blessed with the ability to make observations of this world. We don’t just exist on top of this pile of rock, we dwell within His earthly creation. Babies are the true scientists and observers of our God’s perfect creation. They are unfettered by stigmas, by political agendas, by preconceptions. They are the pure scientists of this world. They wonder, they observe, they test, they learn. They see the bounty of the Lord—it is what forms their entire knowledge base. (My eighteen month old daughter probably has a better idea of physics than I do.) While I am no expert on theology or Biblical studies—I am pretty sure God never said, “Okay, I gave you this beautiful earth to exist on—now go live in a box and don’t open your eyes." I cannot look into the layers of color in the iris of my daughter’s beautiful eyes, I cannot look at the choreographed waves of the ocean, I cannot listen to the music of the crickets outside my window at night without being overwhelmed by the bounty of the Lord’s creation. [bctt tweet="We are blessed with the ability to make observations of this world."] Be the scientist again, look at this world with wide-eyed wonder again, stop, observe, learn. Photo by Jacque Kayleigh 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.

First Reading: Romans 13:8-10 Brothers and sisters: Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet, and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 112:1B-2, 4-5, 9 R. ( 5a) Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Blessed the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in his commands. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed. R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright; he is gracious and merciful and just. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice. R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. R. Blessed the man who is gracious and lends to those in need. Gospel: Luke 14:25-33 Great crowds were traveling with Jesus, and he turned and addressed them, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if there is enough for its completion? Otherwise, after laying the foundation and finding himself unable to finish the work the onlookers should laugh at him and say, ‘This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.’ Or what king marching into battle would not first sit down and decide whether with ten thousand troops he can successfully oppose another king advancing upon him with twenty thousand troops? But if not, while he is still far away, he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms. In the same way, everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessions cannot be my disciple.” NAB How much do you love Him? Just enough, or until it hurts? Six years ago, life changed in an instant. Our happy-go-lucky family had only experienced minor bumps in the road—an ill parent, a small house fire, divorces of a few close friends—but nothing that rocked us. Nothing that changed us. Nothing that required any cross carrying, of any kind. We were faithful Christians, never once dreaming a cross so utterly heavy could ever cross our paths. We stood above our premature son's incubator and stared down at all three pounds of him. The surgeon urged us to make a decision now. "His life depends on it," he said. We had no idea when we said yes to life, what that yes really meant. Because for four kids it meant the usual—poopy diapers, tantrums, zero sleep, sweet cuddles, sloppy kisses and lots (and lots) of Cheerios. This yes? It required us to have a conversation I never dreamed I would have with my husband. We handed him over to the surgeon, knowing his chance of survival was 2 in 10. We looked at one another and my husband said, "We have to give him back to God, and pray He gives him back." That was six years ago. Today, our son is a happy, healthy, albeit tiny, six-year-old. He survived that surgery and six more, hundreds of specialist and therapy visits and tens of thousands of dollars to pay for it all. That cross has been heavy. Unbearable at times. But when life strips you of the thing you hold most sacred, you have two choices: look at the cross and walk away, fearing its weight, or hold out your arms, accept the cross and look around for someone to help carry it. Because what you gain isn't a new chink in the martyrdom armor, but rather a deeper, truer and more honest relationship with God. Trust me, everyone has a cross. Walking through those dark days gave me a depth of understanding for other's crosses that can only be gained through pain and suffering. For the grace doesn't come without pain. But, God's grace always outweighs it. Always. [bctt tweet="How much do you love Him? Just enough, or until it hurts?"] Who in your life is suffering? Who needs compassion? Step out of your comfort zone today and be Christ to someone, whether it be in a big or small way. Because, let's be honest. When you're Christ to someone, it's always a big deal. Kathryn Whitaker is married to Scott and together they have 6 awesome kids. She is a former public relations consultant turned freelance graphic designer who hails from the Lone Star state. You can find more about her here.

First Reading: Romans 12:5-16AB Brothers and sisters: We, though many, are one Body in Christ and individually parts of one another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them: if prophecy, in proportion to the faith; if ministry, in ministering; if one is a teacher, in teaching; if one exhorts, in exhortation; if one contributes, in generosity; if one is over others, with diligence; if one does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.Let love be sincere; hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor. Do not grow slack in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 131:1BCDE, 2, 3 R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me. R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me. R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. O Israel, hope in the LORD, both now and forever. R. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. Gospel: Luke 14:15-24 One of those at table with Jesus said to him, “Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God.” He replied to him, “A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many. When the time for the dinner came, he dispatched his servant to say to those invited, ‘Come, everything is now ready.’ But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves. The first said to him, ‘I have purchased a field and must go to examine it; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have purchased five yoke of oxen and am on my way to evaluate them; I ask you, consider me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have just married a woman, and therefore I cannot come.’ The servant went and reported this to his master. Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ The servant reported, ‘Sir, your orders have been carried out and still there is room.’ The master then ordered the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled. For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner. NAB Well, this is quite a jam-packed First Reading. Can you imagine if you were able to incorporate all of these facets into your life? We'd be quite God-like wouldn't we? And isn't that the goal? To be holy like the One who created us. But, we are human, and we fail and we fall. That's why we have the Sacrament of Confession, to receive forgiveness and a clean slate for our souls. However, just because we know that failure is a part of the human condition, it doesn't mean we won't strive to better ourselves and bring the Kingdom down here to earth so we can eventually be invited to the great dinner feast. We must create the Body of Christ right here on earth. And in the First Reading, we are given some amazing instructions on how to do this. Use your God-given gifts to praise him. Show genuine love for all of God's creations—no matter how small. If something is not of God, remove it from your life—speak out against it. And keep God's goodness present in your life. Humans are God's masterpieces; love them as such. Show respect for all of humanity—even though we are all sinners. Do not get lazy in faith; ask the Spirit to fill you. Commit yourself to constant daily service. Be glad that good will ultimately prevail. But remember that until then, we must endure suffering. Even in the face of adversity, pray. Pray for vocations. Open your home and share your blessings to all - including those who offend you or hurt you. Ask for God to be present in the lives of those overcome by evil. Share in the human experience by emotionally connecting to people. Never think of yourself as better than another. And do not exclude one another based on perceived status. Which of these can you do right now? Which can you do later this week? When can you do them all? Because isn't that the goal? To be purified enough to secure a place in heaven? Let's start that process here on earth. [bctt tweet="If something is not of God, remove it from your life—speak out against it."] What talents have you been given? Think of the first simple thing that pops in your head (typing, packing lunches, cutting coupons, etc). How can you use that gift to glorify God this week? photo by Corynne Olivia 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 blogs and runs a crafty embroidery business. You can find out more about her here.

It was the hottest week of the year in Saint Louis, and my family was making our summer visit to my parents’ house. One night towards the end of the trip I woke up with a chill over my body from a dream. I don’t remember the bulk of the dream, but at the end a silver four-door sedan pulled across the grass and stopped with the driver’s side next to me. My deceased great-grandmother rolled down the window and asked me with a solemn face, “When are you coming to see me?” She then rolled up the window and drove away. I awoke unsettled and unsure. As I lay in my bed I realized that we only had one day left in Saint Louis, and during that last day, I could go see her. I could go to her grave and pray for her, and in doing so, I could earn her a partial indulgence (partial remission of temporal punishment due to sin). She passed away over 20 years ago, but many of her descendants are no longer Catholic. Who, if not me, is praying for her soul? In the Gospel, Jesus said, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.” On the last day, those who believe will be raised. But that does not take away our temporal punishment due to sin. Purgatory is a purging of our souls so that we can be fully ready for Heaven, and my great-grandmother could have very well been asking me for prayers for her soul. Today is All Souls day, and we are called today to pray for the souls of those in purgatory, so much so that the Church gives plenary indulgences* (full remission of temporal punishment due to sin) to souls in purgatory when we on All Souls Day “devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed.” Also, “on any and each day from November 1 to 8, devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed” (From the Manual of Indulgences (Fourth Edition, 1999). [bctt tweet="Intercede for them, and they will intercede for you!"] So, this day of All Souls’, get thee to a church and this week to a cemetery, and pray for the dead. If you don’t, who will? Intercede for them, and they will intercede for you! Requiem aeternam: Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. (Order of Christian Funerals) *From the Catechism of the Catholic Church on Indulgences: “1478 An indulgence is obtained through the Church who, by virtue of the power of binding and loosing granted her by Christ Jesus, intervenes in favor of individual Christians and opens for them the treasury of the merits of Christ and the saints to obtain from the Father of mercies the remission of the temporal punishments due for their sins. Thus the Church does not want simply to come to the aid of these Christians, but also to spur them to works of devotion, penance, and charity. 1479 Since the faithful departed now being purified are also members of the same communion of saints, one way we can help them is to obtain indulgences for them, so that the temporal punishments due for their sins may be remitted.” photo by Corynne Olivia 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.

First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4,9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to damage the land and the sea, “Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal, one hundred and forty-four thousand marked from every tribe of the children of Israel.After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice:“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”All the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They prostrated themselves before the throne, worshiped God, and exclaimed:“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.” He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6 R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place? One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3 Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure. Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” NAB I sat in the audience my junior year of college listening to Peter Kreeft talk of moral relativism. I forgot much of what he said, but the one thing that stuck out, and still does twelve years later, was when he looked into the sea of college students that evening and said, “The only real tragedy in life is not to become a saint.” Now, I cannot seem to find who originally spoke those words, but as we celebrate the solemnity of All Saints Day, it’s a line we can cling to. The saints were people. Just like you and me. They were given gifts as well as crosses . . . some much greater than yours or mine. Yet, it wasn’t in what they were freely given that they were made saints . . . it was in the choices they made. Some were adulterers. Some denied Christ. Some were impatient, short-tempered and vain. All were human, and as humans, they sin. But they chose to keep running after Him. They chose to be saints. And, in turn, His grace made them so. In the Gospel today, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes. What better guide for our journey toward sainthood . . . especially this last one: “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.” Today, this week, the next month, the rest of your life . . . can you imagine rejoicing when someone utters every kind of evil against you falsely? But, if they utter those words falsely because of Him, would it make the rejoicing a bit easier? If we truly knew that our crosses would someday be lifted . . . that our reward would be great, would it make it easier to choose to be a saint? They will be lifted. We will be satisfied. We will see God. The Kingdom of Heaven will be ours. In time. With a daily choice to run after Him. Today we remember all the saints who have gone before us. I hope we also remember they were once exactly where we are, trying to be saintly in a fallen world. Take comfort in knowing they are accompanying our journey back to Heaven. And, don’t let the only real tragedy in life come to fruition. Instead, become a saint! [bctt tweet="The only real tragedy in life is not to become a saint."] Read a quick history of a saint you know little about and ask for their intercession today. 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.

First Reading: Romans 11:1-2A, 11-12, 25-29 Brothers and sisters: I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Of course not! For I too am a child of Israel, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the Scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number. I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you will not become wise in your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written:The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.In respect to the Gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarch. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 94:12-13A, 14-15, 17-18 R. (14a) The Lord will not abandon his people. Blessed the man whom you instruct, O LORD, whom by your law you teach, Giving him rest from evil days. R. The Lord will not abandon his people. For the LORD will not cast off his people, nor abandon his inheritance; But judgment shall again be with justice, and all the upright of heart shall follow it. R. The Lord will not abandon his people. Were not the LORD my help, my soul would soon dwell in the silent grave. When I say, “My foot is slipping,” your mercy, O LORD, sustains me. R. The Lord will not abandon his people. Gospel: Luke 14:1, 7-11 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. He told a parable to those who had been invited, noticing how they were choosing the places of honor at the table. “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not recline at table in the place of honor. A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him, and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then you would proceed with embarrassment to take the lowest place. Rather, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place so that when the host comes to you he may say, ‘My friend, move up to a higher position.’ Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” NAB I don't think I can remember an instance where I told my friend to move up and take a higher position over myself at a fancy party. Oh sure, letting someone go ahead of me in line at the grocery store I've done. But that's not really humbling myself is it? It's more simply being polite. Seeking the lowest place like Christ describes in today's Gospel is something that is so hard to consciously choose. It just goes against all of human instincts to get ahead, take what's ours, and enjoy the rewards that we've earned. This reminds me of something Pope Benedict XVI said when he was also talking of Christ's teachings on humility; he said "God's logic is always 'other' with respect to our own." It is so hard to see God's "logic" in making ourselves the least and lowest, it goes completely against our human instincts and desires. I think that it requires a lot of practice in humility to get to the point which Jesus talks about in today's Gospel. It takes a lot of practice in accepting the small, ordinary sacrifices in our day until we reach that point where we willingly give our friend the best seat at the table while we take the worst. It takes a lot of effort to take the grudging things that happen to us day in and day out and accept them with joy. The irony of humility is that it is a virtue that isn't acquired through big, heroic actions; but in the small, annoying, tiresome tasks that we choose to do out of love. Christ's call to humility goes against all our human instincts and requires us to accept and lean on supernatural grace. [bctt tweet="Christ's call to humility goes against all our human instincts and requires us to accept and lean on supernatural grace."] In today's worst moments, where we'd rather ignore the dishes or hurry past the slow movers on the sidewalk, let's try to accept these small occasions to grow in the virtue of humility so that one day Christ may ask us to his table of honour. 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: Romans 9:1-5 Brothers and sisters: I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh. They are children of Israel; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Christ, 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 14:1-6 On a sabbath Jesus went to dine at the home of one of the leading Pharisees, and the people there were observing him carefully. In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy. Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking, “Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?” But they kept silent; so he took the man and, after he had healed him, dismissed him. Then he said to them “Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?” But they were unable to answer his question. NAB In high school, I had a fantastic yearbook teacher. She and I immediately connected. Now, nearly 25 years later, we are still good friends. One conversation she and I had back in my high school days has stuck with me. We were chatting about the absolutes in life, the black and the white. The good and evil. As we reflected on that, she winked and said to me, "Don't forget about the gray area. As you get older, it gets bigger." The Pharisees were all about the rules and regulations, along with the rules to the rules and regulations. They obsessed over the tiniest of things in relation to work on the Sabbath. The black and white. But, Jesus? He saw the gray. Where they saw the rules for what you could and could not do, Jesus saw what should be done. A man was sick, therefore he should be healed. And, not only did Jesus heal the sick, but He turned to those around Him and challenged them. His witness matched His words. In our lives, every day we see the black and white of the world. As Christians, I think we relish in following the rules. Shoot, as parents we want our children to follow the rules. But God's love and mercy doesn't always follow the rules. It challenges us to do what should be done. We call it ethics. As I read the news about many of the issues of the 21st century, like immigration, service to the poor, capital punishment, and bioethics, I see the beacon of light that is Pope Francis. He, along with God, are asking us to dive into the gray. [bctt tweet="God's love and mercy doesn't always follow the rules."] Through thoughtful prayer, cultivate a deeper relationship with God and make the hard choices. Do what should be done, not for our glory, but for God's. Let your witness match your words. Kathryn Whitaker is married to Scott and together they have 6 awesome kids. She is a former public relations consultant turned freelance graphic designer who hails from the Lone Star state. You can find more about her here.

First Reading: Romans 8:31-39 Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written:For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 109:21-22, 26-27, 30-31 R. (26b) Save me, O Lord, in your mercy. Do you, O GOD, my Lord, deal kindly with me for your name’s sake; in your generous mercy rescue me; For I am wretched and poor, and my heart is pierced within me. R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy. Help me, O LORD, my God; save me, in your mercy, And let them know that this is your hand; that you, O LORD, have done this. R. Save me, O Lord, in your mercy. I will speak my thanks earnestly to the LORD, and in the midst of the throng I will praise him, For he stood at the right hand of the poor man, to save him from those who would condemn his soul. R. Save me, O Lord, in your kindness. Gospel: Luke 13:31-35 Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.” He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.’“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned. But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” NAB It's a spooky time of year. We are days away from Halloween and there are ghosts, witches, and the walking dead all around. I don't mind lighthearted spookiness in cobwebs and Casper the Friendly Ghost, but I stay clear of the creepy and the downright evil. Here's why: A few years ago, one of our children would awaken to someone calling their first name, telling us the voice sounded like a little girl's. That same child would also run down the hall in the middle of the night, screaming, crying, heart pounding, terrified of something, something they couldn't explain but it knew our child's name. I had always believed in the "visible and invisible" but it was this experience that initiated my desire to understand the difference between the invisible good and the invisible bad. The invisible evil—demons and Satan himself, prowling about the world seeking the ruin of souls—are just as much a reality as our Guardian Angels and Saint Michael, who will defend us in battle and be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. When really scary stuff happens it is not the Ghostbusters who are called upon, it's the Catholic Church. There is power in the Sacraments and sacramentals like holy water; there is power in the very name of Jesus. When we were trying to figure out what was happening with our kiddo I found great peace knowing I could rely on His Name, prayers, and holy water to help us. I also found great peace in today's First Reading, especially this line: For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities . . . nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. God loves my children more than I do and He would do anything to protect them. He has given me all the tools needed to protect them. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, including protecting my children from the invisible evil. Right now, evil is on full display with sexy everything costumes and a peaked interest in the occult. But Satan tries to get at us every day, trying to wear us down and separate us from the love of Christ. But nothing—nothing—can separate us from God and His love. [bctt tweet="I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, including protecting my children from the invisible evil."] Pray the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel. 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: Ephesians 2:19-22 Brothers and sisters: You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord; in him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 19:2-3,4-5 R. (5a) Their message goes out through all the earth. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day, and night to night imparts knowledge. R. Their message goes out through all the earth. Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; Through all the earth their voice resounds, and to the ends of the world, their message. R. Their message goes out through all the earth. Gospel: Luke 6:12-16 Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. NAB I was fresh off of a year of a year dedicated to ministry, and found myself stumbling through a dark period of my life. I felt alone and frustrated. The friends I once had were traveling down different paths than the one I had chosen to walk. But a blessing came in that desert. I don’t remember how it happened, but I was invited to join a group of women from my parish. It was small, intimate, and eventually became the standard for my future friendships with women. We were a group of married women, mothers, and single women. We didn’t all know each other very well when we first met, but we had one common goal that pushed us through the first awkward meetings: our goal was Christ. To know Him, love Him, and spend eternity with Him. We were prepared to walk the path of faith together. We rejoiced over engagements and weddings, we held hands and cried over children lost, we encouraged each other through major life decisions concerning jobs and moves. A few of us are thousands of miles from each other now. Others are experiencing a distance that comes from the business of jobs and children and spouses and life. But we still call each other “sister.” We built a safe place for each other, my sisters and I. A place where we could point each other to Christ and call each other to a higher standard. A place where we could bring light to our darkness and ask for healing and support. Today Saint Paul reminds us that like the stones of a building, we would crumble if we did not lean into each other and stand firm on Christ as our foundation. Let us lean into each other. Sister, you are not a stranger here. You are part of His household. [bctt tweet="Let us lean into each other."] Are there ways that you are in need of support? Is there someone who needs you? 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: Romans 8:12-17 Brothers and sisters, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, through which we cry, “Abba, Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 68:2 AND 4, 6-7AB, 20-21 R. (21a) Our God is the God of salvation. God arises; his enemies are scattered, and those who hate him flee before him. But the just rejoice and exult before God; they are glad and rejoice. R. Our God is the God of salvation. The father of orphans and the defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads forth prisoners to prosperity. R. Our God is the God of salvation. Blessed day by day be the Lord, who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation. God is a saving God for us; the LORD, my Lord, controls the passageways of death. R. Our God is the God of salvation. Gospel: Luke 13:10-17 Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, “Woman, you are set free of your infirmity.” He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day.” The Lord said to him in reply, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?” When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him. NAB Eighteen years is a long time to be cramped and crippled. Reading this story, I feel such sympathy for this unnamed woman. And, in some small way, I can relate to her. In my early teenage years, I began to struggle with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Random, upsetting thoughts would sometimes flash into my mind and stay there, causing me intense worry and guilt. It wasn’t chronic; I’d go through long periods where I was fine, only to have something trigger the thoughts again. And when the anxiety was at its worst, I felt like the woman in the story, metaphorically crippled by the fear of those thoughts and of what they said about me. In my late twenties, I finally got the courage to seek professional help, and a wise therapist sat with me every week while I laid bare the things that had seemed too scary even to say. Held up to the light, they were not as awful as I had thought. And I could feel myself stand a little taller, week by week, as the fear and guilt were driven away. Around eighteen years after the anxiety first began, I was finally learning to master it. Yes, I’d have loved for Jesus to appear and heal me instantly, just as the woman in the story was healed. In my younger years, I often I prayed for exactly that. But now I know that when it comes to healing, that’s not usually how it works. Jesus tends to heal us by giving other people gifts, then putting those people into our path just when we need their gifts most. I needed the therapist’s wisdom and kindness and knowledge. Those gifts helped me; they got me unstuck. The process took time, but it was still beautiful and powerful and, in its own way, miraculous. Healing takes many different forms, I’ve learned. It does not always look like it does in the Bible, instantaneous and dramatic. But if we can muster up the courage to take a few halting steps in its direction, we can end up like the woman in the story, giving glory to God as we stand tall and happy and—at long last—free. [bctt tweet="Give glory to God as we stand tall and happy and—at long last—free."] Is there a pain in my life that Jesus is longing to help me heal? 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.

First Reading: Jeremiah 31:7-9 Thus says the LORD: Shout with joy for Jacob, exult at the head of the nations; proclaim your praise and say: The LORD has delivered his people, the remnant of Israel. Behold, I will bring them back from the land of the north; I will gather them from the ends of the world, with the blind and the lame in their midst, the mothers and those with child; they shall return as an immense throng. They departed in tears, but I will console them and guide them; I will lead them to brooks of water, on a level road, so that none shall stumble. For I am a father to Israel, Ephraim is my first-born. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 126:1-2, 2-3, 4-5, 6 R. (3) The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. When the LORD brought back the captives of Zion, we were like men dreaming. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with rejoicing. R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them." The LORD has done great things for us; we are glad indeed. R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the torrents in the southern desert. Those that sow in tears shall reap rejoicing. R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Although they go forth weeping, carrying the seed to be sown, They shall come back rejoicing, carrying their sheaves. R. The Lord has done great things for us; we are filled with joy. Second Reading: Hebrews 5:1-6 Brothers and sisters: Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God, just as Aaron was. In the same way, it was not Christ who glorified himself in becoming high priest, but rather the one who said to him: You are my son: this day I have begotten you; just as he says in another place: You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. Gospel: Mark 10:46-54 As Jesus was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a sizable crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus, sat by the roadside begging. On hearing that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me." And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he kept calling out all the more, "Son of David, have pity on me." Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." So they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take courage; get up, Jesus is calling you." He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus. Jesus said to him in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?" The blind man replied to him, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him, "Go your way; your faith has saved you." Immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way. NAB How to be a saved by your faith, in five steps, care of Bartimaeus the blind beggar: Acknowledge your weaknesses, and call upon Jesus. When everyone around you tells you to knock it off, don’t. When Jesus calls you, come RUNNING, throwing aside your stuff. When Jesus asks you what you want, tell him YOU WANT TO SEE. Then . . . follow Jesus on the way. We each have our own blindnesses. Bartimaeus' just happens to be, ya know, actually blind. But he is such an example to us. And to those in his own time as well. Just a week before this encounter, Saint James and Saint John had cornered Jesus and had a pretty bold request for him: “Teacher we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” In contrast, Bartimaeus just calls out again and again for Jesus to have pity on him. In both instances, Jesus asks in reply, "What do you want me to do for you?” The disciples ask Jesus for glory. They want to be rewarded with places of honor in Heaven. But Bartimaeus has a different request: "Master, I want to see.” It's all any of us should ask, really . . . that we might SEE. That we could see others as Jesus sees them. That we might see ourselves as Jesus sees us. That we would see our lives with the vision that Jesus has for us. And Jesus wants to grant us our request. All we have to do is take courage, like Bartimaeus did, and ask. [bctt tweet="It's all any of us should ask, really . . . that we might SEE."] All we have to do is take courage, like Bartimaeus did, and ask. Kendra Tierney lives in Los Angeles, CA where her interests include blogging, homeschooling, looking after her eight children, and suburban homesteading . . . in case of zombies. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Romans 8:1-11 Brothers and sisters: Now there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death. For what the law, weakened by the flesh, was powerless to do, this God has done: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for the sake of sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous decree of the law might be fulfilled in us, who live not according to the flesh but according to the spirit. For those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit with the things of the spirit. The concern of the flesh is death, but the concern of the spirit is life and peace. For the concern of the flesh is hostility toward God; it does not submit to the law of God, nor can it; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the spirit is alive because of righteousness. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 24:1B-2, 3-4AB, 5-6 R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place? He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, a reward from God his savior. Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Gospel: Luke 13:1-9 Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them— do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!” And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’” NAB If you are like me, you’ve watched heartbroken this last month as images of all the suffering in our world have flooded news and social media outlets. The sadness is palpable. Do I deserve this life I have, of safety, of comfort, of good things, more than those suffering souls do? One look at my list of daily sins ensures me that there is no way that I merit what I have. This comfort of "life and peace" is all gift. It would be easy to ask “why” of God. But when Jesus walked this earth, He seldom answered the question of why. Instead, in word and deed, He was always pointing us to “what” and “how.” If I had to sum up the “how” and “what” in one word each, it would be “merciful action.” The Lord desires for us to act on behalf of those who suffer out of the same compassionate love He had for us, when He deferred to consider whether or not we were worthy of His love and offered it freely instead out of His mercy. Looking at our world today, we have to admit that there are many of us fig trees who have not born the fruit of merciful action the Lord seeks. Or perhaps we have born tiny fruit, reluctantly offered, or fruit full of the worms of self-seeking and pride. Maybe we have refused to let our fruit blossom because we wished that rather than being the fig tree, we could bear some other exotic fruit in some more interesting, noteworthy spot. God planted us where He did so we could bear the fruit of merciful action right here in our own lives. Your daily work might not look like it is saving anyone, but if you approach it with compassion, seeking the grace it has to offer you, and returning that grace to those you are called to serve, you are bearing the fruit God asks of you. And our world is a better place because of it. Now is our future. The Master has seen our sin and said, “Let us wait and see what she might do.” What fruit can you produce that tells the world His spirit is in you, "the spirit of life and peace"? [bctt tweet="What fruit can you produce that tells the world His spirit is in you?"] What one task or service might you offer today as a gift of mercy, to fertilize the soil of our hurting world with love? 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: Romans 7:18-25A Brothers and sisters: I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. So, then, I discover the principle that when I want to do right, evil is at hand. For I take delight in the law of God, in my inner self, but I see in my members another principle at war with the law of my mind, taking me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 119:66, 68, 76, 77, 93, 94 R. (68b) Lord, teach me your statutes. Teach me wisdom and knowledge, for in your commands I trust. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. You are good and bountiful; teach me your statutes. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Let your kindness comfort me according to your promise to your servants. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Never will I forget your precepts, for through them you give me life. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. I am yours; save me, for I have sought your precepts. R. Lord, teach me your statutes. Gospel: Luke 12:54-59 Jesus said to the crowds, “When you see a cloud rising in the west you say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does; and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the south you say that it is going to be hot–and so it is. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky; why do you not know how to interpret the present time? “Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right? If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate, make an effort to settle the matter on the way; otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the constable, and the constable throw you into prison. I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.” NAB For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. I remember the first time I found this verse in my Bible as a young girl. I highlighted it because it amazed me. Really? Saint Paul, the great missionary, struggled with sin the same way I did? He knew what it meant to truly want and try to be good but to be unable to do the things he wanted to do? Now, all these years later, this verse still amazes me. It points to the common struggle we all share as believers. We want to be good. We try to be good. We try to do all the things we know we should . . . we pray, we spend time in Scripture, we go to Mass and follow all the rules, and we try to speak kindly and not gossip and avoid rolling our eyes at the most annoying person we know, and yet, in the midst of all our striving, we just keep messing up. I struggle with perfectionism and having unreasonably high standards for myself and others. I’m hard on myself about this, but it’s difficult to change, no matter how much I want to change it. Sometimes, I find myself standing before someone I love, feeling totally disappointed with how he or she has let me down, struggling not to be harsh with him or her. This verse reminds me that we are all in the same boat. We are all sharing this struggle. We all want to do what we do not do, and sometimes we all do that very thing we try our hardest to avoid. Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord, indeed. Without His intervention, there would be no hope. Since I prove to myself on a daily basis that I cannot do the right thing through my own willpower, I’ll never understand why He thought it necessary to die on my behalf . . . but I’m so glad He did, aren't you? Because of His love, there’s a way forward, after all, no matter how badly or how often we mess things up. Through Him, we have hope. [bctt tweet="Because of His love, there’s a way forward."] The next time you find yourself struggling with a familiar temptation, remember that everyone, even Saint Paul, has been there. Jesus has overcome even our most persistent sins, and we can always call on Him: "Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner!" Abbey Dupuy is a homeschooling mama to preschooler twins, a first grader and a new baby. You can find out more about her here.