First Reading: 1 Thessalonians 3:7-13 We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters, in our every distress and affliction, through your faith. For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord. What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you, for all the joy we feel on your account before our God? Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith. Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we have for you, so as to strengthen your hearts, to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 90:3-5A, 12-13, 14 AND 17 Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy! You turn man back to dust, saying, “Return, O children of men.” For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, now that it is past, or as a watch of the night. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain wisdom of heart. Return, O LORD! How long? Have pity on your servants! Fill us at daybreak with your kindness, that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days. And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours; prosper the work of our hands for us! Prosper the work of our hands! Gospel: Matthews 24:42-51 Jesus said to his disciples: “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come. “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour and will punish him severely and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.” ESV “Stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come." Frankly, I get a bit weirded out when I think about my impending demise, especially if I think it could happen soon. I know that The End is coming, but . . . theoretically. And once I've reached a ripe, old age. Surely my life is challenging enough without having the thought of imminent death lurking overhead! Yet, as Christians, we know that death is not truly the end, but merely the beginning of life transformed through Him! Thankfully, Jesus reminds us in today's Gospel that, if we consider that we could meet Him at any point, our lives will be more meaningful and fruitful than if we mistakenly believe death and final judgement is a myth. Today the Church celebrates the Memorial of Saint Monica, otherwise known as Saint Augustine's mother. A devout woman, Monica was keenly aware that her son's notoriously licentious ways were not the stuff that would fit him for Heaven when he reached his particular judgement. And so, Monica prayed. And wept. And prayed more. Eventually, after many years of steadfast dedication to her son's conversion, Augustine was received into the Church and was eventually named a Doctor of the Faith. Are there people in your life for whom you're concerned—family members or friends—who may be, like the wicked servant in today's Gospel, busy living it up with no concern for their salvation? Maybe they're like pre-Saint Augustine, who said, "Lord, grant me chastity, but not yet." Maybe everything you've tried to help your loved one see the light has seemingly failed. Take a page from Monica and take heart. Her persistent prayers not only led to her son's conversion, but her formerly pagan husband's salvation as well. Both of these men's lives, and countless more, were transformed through the patient intercession of this remarkable woman. My friend, never, ever, ever underestimate the importance of prayer—your prayer. As we read in James 5:16, "The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful." And once you've prayed, keep praying . . . yet don't worry. You may not see instant results, but trust that God is faithful—He is working. [bctt tweet="Never, ever, ever underestimate the importance of prayer—YOUR prayer."] Believing that no soul is ever beyond the merciful love of our God, for whom will you pray today? My friend, you are not alone in your intentions; your Blessed is She community is praying with and for you. St. Monica, pray for us. photo by Corynne Olivia Heather Renshaw is a writer, speaker, and uplifter who used to be an Augustine but came back to the Church in part thanks to a Monica in her life. She keeps her head above water with a husband and five children in the Pacific Northwest. You can learn more about her here.

First Reading: Revelations 21:9B-14 The angel spoke to me, saying, “Come here. I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” He took me in spirit to a great, high mountain and showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. It gleamed with the splendor of God. Its radiance was like that of a precious stone, like jasper, clear as crystal. It had a massive, high wall, with twelve gates where twelve angels were stationed and on which names were inscribed, the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. There were three gates facing east, three north, three south, and three west. The wall of the city had twelve courses of stones as its foundation, on which were inscribed the twelve names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145:10-11, 12-13, 17-18 Your friends make known, O Lord, the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom and speak of your might. Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your Kingdom. Your Kingdom is a Kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is just in all his waysand holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. Gospel: John 1:45-51 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” But Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this.” And he said to him, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of Godascending and descending on the Son of Man.” ESV Can anything good come from Nazareth? Try replacing “Nazareth” with another place name that seems to fit. Maybe there’s a city you associate with crime or superficial living. Maybe there’s a part of your own community that you don’t like to be, where you would never live by choice. Every one of us can name some place that has this effect on us. Enter Jesus, who is here to change our minds. He’s ready to open our eyes to the fact that God’s grace is found in every zip code, in every neighborhood, in every place we don’t expect it to be. Can anything good come from Nazareth? This time, try replacing “Nazareth” with a situation. Can anything good come from my mom’s illness? My husband’s job loss? My child’s problems at school? Our struggles with infertility? My *!#! car that gave out on the highway? Enter Jesus, who—once again—turns our initial reactions upside down. His grace is everywhere, even if at first glance (or second, or third) it is very hard to see. I learned this during my two consecutive pregnancy losses, each of which was excruciating. It took me a while to see any good in these losses. At first, it seemed as though God had turned into some awful sadist who wanted to see how much pain I could bear. And I don’t want to claim that the eventual graces outweighed the initial losses; that’s too strong a statement for me to honestly make. But in those dark times, I encountered the kindness of other women who had suffered miscarriages. I grew more aware that parenthood is not something to take for granted, because it does not always come easily. And I grew softer myself, as if the grief scooped out my insides but in so doing uncovered the depths of my capacity to suffer with others. As my former pastor once said, God doesn’t promise us an easy life, but He does promise us a meaningful one. Every day bears this out, presenting us with some little or big challenge. But in the middle of it all, we encounter the Man who is Life itself. He is found in the places and situations where we least expect Him to be, and that is a gift indeed. [bctt tweet="God doesn’t promise us an easy life, but He does promise us a meaningful one."] When in your life has something good come out of something bad (or seemingly bad)? photo by Corynne Olivia 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: Joshua 24:1-2A, 15-17, 18B Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges, and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: “If it does not please you to serve the LORD, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your fathers served beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you are now dwelling. As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” But the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD for the service of other gods. For it was the LORD, our God, who brought us and our fathers up out of the land of Egypt, out of a state of slavery. He performed those great miracles before our very eyes and protected us along our entire journey and among the peoples through whom we passed. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34:2-3, 16-17, 18-19, 20-21 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. 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. 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. 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. Many are the troubles of the just one, but out of them all the LORD delivers him; he watches over all his bones; not one of them shall be broken. Second Reading: Ephesians 5:21-32 Brothers and sisters: Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives should be subordinate to their husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is head of his wife just as Christ is head of the church, he himself the savior of the body. As the church is subordinate to Christ, so wives should be subordinate to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and handed himself over for her to sanctify her, cleansing her by the bath of water with the word, that he might present to himself the church in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. So also husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one hates his own flesh but rather nourishes and cherishes it, even as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. Gospel: John 6:60-69 Many of Jesus’disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.” ESV Four years ago, I pulled the into the driveway, feeling unusually upbeat after a long day at work. My spirits lifted even more as I saw my husband, wearing his baggy camouflaged uniform that matched my own, climbing out of his already-parked car. He'd arrived just ahead of me. I scrambled out of my car and ran to meet him, but stopped abruptly as I registered the look on his face. He grasped my hand as his troubled eyes raised to meet mine; a feeling of dread washed over me and the happiness drained away. "I got a casualty report from the old unit today," he said heavily. "From the description . . . I think . . . I mean . . . it's him*." He wrapped his arms around me and my heart dropped to my stomach. "No." I whispered. Not this friend. No! Please God! NO! There had been many before in our line of work. There would be too many after. But this time, this soul, this young man with a beautiful little family . . . this one had hit the hardest of all. In the weeks following my head swam with thoughts and emotions, and words tumbled from my mouth so inadequately as I delivered meals, as I sat through the memorial ceremonies, as I grasped at a sliver of faith big enough to fill the void of the questions that held no answers. But in the urge to run away from it all—to crumple under the weight of the sadness, to wonder that a God who is Love could let this happen—slowly, the whispers of truth rose forth. "The Lord is close to the broken hearted." He was. He was close, and He was present. He was in the ongoing stages of hurt and healing as the weeks blurred into months and beyond. At every turn, the Healer held in His scarred and outstretched hands the offer of eternal life and love when everything else had been lost. Four years later, there are still just as many recipes for brokenness as there are evils in the world. It may be a broken heart, aching with loss. A broken body wracked by pain. A broken spirit crushed by life's hurts. A broken soul, riddled by sin. "It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail." Whatever our season—whatever our brokenness—whenever the world falls away, and it would be so easy to run but for our heart crying out, "to whom shall we go?" It is then we must hold fast to the Spirit and truth that remain. The only place to go is straight to Him. "You alone have the words to eternal life." [bctt tweet="The only place to go is straight to Him."] Bring whatever brokenness you carry today to the Giver of Eternal Life, and allow him to speak His truth into your heart. And if you have an extra moment, I invite you to help me honor my friend today on his birthday into eternal life: pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet for our broken world that cannot seem to accept God, and for all the souls of the departed. * The name of our dear friend has been withheld out of respect for his family's privacy. Megan Hjelmstad is a wife, mom, writer and sometimes soldier whose real passion is equal parts faith and chocolate. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Ruth 2:1-3, 8-11; 4:13-17 Naomi had a prominent kinsman named Boaz, of the clan of her husband Elimelech. Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, “Let me go and glean ears of grain in the field of anyone who will allow me that favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go, my daughter,” and she went. The field she entered to glean after the harvesters happened to be the section belonging to Boaz of the clan of Elimelech. Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter! Do not go to glean in anyone else’s field; you are not to leave here. Stay here with my women servants. Watch to see which field is to be harvested, and follow them; I have commanded the young men to do you no harm. When you are thirsty, you may go and drink from the vessels the young men have filled.” Casting herself prostrate upon the ground, Ruth said to him, “Why should I, a foreigner, be favored with your notice?” Boaz answered her: “I have had a complete account of what you have done for your mother-in-law after your husband’s death; you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know previously.” Boaz took Ruth. When they came together as man and wife, the LORD enabled her to conceive and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed is the LORD who has not failed to provide you today with an heir! May he become famous in Israel! He will be your comfort and the support of your old age, for his mother is the daughter-in-law who loves you. She is worth more to you than seven sons!” Naomi took the child, placed him on her lap, and became his nurse. And the neighbor women gave him his name, at the news that a grandson had been born to Naomi. They called him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 128:1B-2, 3, 4, 5 See how the Lord blesses those who fear him. Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways! For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored. You wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home; Your children like olive plants around your table. Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Gospel: Matthew 23:1-12 Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” ESV Humility. I did this stupid thing once and prayed for humility. Yeah, that was a bad good idea. When you pray for humility you cannot be angry, caught off-guard or upset that you are a victim when the unexpected happens, because you asked for it, for goodness' sakes, and gosh darn it, God sure delivers on that prayer petition. It only takes once to ask for humility and you will never do it again. Perhaps this is because God does a great job at answering your prayer, you learn your lesson quickly (perhaps!!). Humility is hard for everyone, but I feel especially for outgoing, extroverted, leadership-oriented people like me. I like the attention. I love the spotlight. I want to be the one person people turn to. I have a lot to lose from humility. I have accepted these things in my personality/genetic make-up because there are some great strengths to draw from in a personality like mine, but one of the biggest set backs and weaknesses . . . humility. God calls us out big time in today's Gospel to be humble. I fall way short of "whoever humbles himself will be exalted." I think humility looks different for each person, because we all know we love to play the comparison game. That game is all for nothing because no person is truly like another. We can only ask God for humility and for Him to reveal to us what that looks like for us. I love and take to heart this quote from C.S. Lewis who reminds us, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less." That right there is beautiful. If I can only just shift my time, attention and focus off of myself, humility will naturally come. It's not a bold display of "I am less" but a quiet display of "He is more." I strive for that, pray for it, and walk out in faith, sometimes humiliated, but most of the time lifted up. [bctt tweet="We can only ask God for humility and for Him to reveal to us what that looks like for us."] Join me ladies in praying this litany of humility today, link here. photo by Corynne Olivia Cassie Kent is a wife, mom to two kiddos, loves to get a little crafty and even throws a monthly party celebrating the beauty of creativity. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Ruth 1:1, 3-6, 14B-16, 22 Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land; so a man from Bethlehem of Judah departed with his wife and two sons to reside on the plateau of Moab. Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women, one named Orpah, the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Chilion died also, and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband. She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab because word reached her there that the LORD had visited his people and given them food. Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her. Naomi said, “See now! Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god. Go back after your sister-in-law!” But Ruth said, “Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” Thus it was that Naomi returned with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth, who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 146:5-6AB, 6C-7, 8-9A, 9BC-10 Praise the Lord, my soul! Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD, his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them. The LORD keeps faith forever, secures justice for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets captives free. 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. 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. Gospel: Matthew 22:34-40 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a scholar of the law, tested him by asking, “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” ESV My beautiful mother birthed ten children, four boys and six girls. By a sure act of Providence, five out of six of those girls were born in a row. This order of siblings created an easy bond of strong friendship for all five girls. Friendship that didn't fail even when life got hard. Through all my heartbreaks, stomach flus, failed tests, failed friendships, and funerals, my sisters were my constant companions. In those difficult times they echoed the words of Ruth, “Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” Whether it was flowers on a bed side, late night talks, or extra prayers, in my worst moments they were my best friends. In the First Reading, Naomi had lost her husband and her two sons, but God gave her Ruth's friendship as consolation. True friendship is one of God's greatest gifts. I believe our culture undervalues friendship. We move so fast that our social interactions tend to be shallow and short. As women it's easy to fall into gossip and other vices that can destroy strong friendships, and I personally have lost friends over the years through my own selfishness and pride. Like anything worth fighting for, friendship takes work and real sacrifice but the fruits are eternal. May we take the example of Ruth and Naomi and strive for the great gift of true friendship. [bctt tweet="Like anything worth fighting for, friendship takes work and real sacrifice."] Give a small gift, write a letter, or set up a coffee or phone date with a friend you have not talked to in awhile. Marie Miller is a singer/songwriter who loves to read old books, drink red wine, and spend time with her very big family. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Judges 11:29-39A The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah-Gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. Jephthah made a vow to the LORD. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,” he said, “whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites shall belong to the LORD. I shall offer him up as a burnt offering.” Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his power, so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramim. Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection by the children of Israel. When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her. When he saw her, he rent his garments and said, “Alas, daughter, you have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract.” She replied, “Father, you have made a vow to the LORD. Do with me as you have vowed, because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you on your enemies the Ammonites.” Then she said to her father, “Let me have this favor. Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with my companions.” “Go,” he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and mourned her virginity on the mountains. At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 40:5, 7-8A, 8B-9, 10 Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will. Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust; who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood. 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.” “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!” I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know. Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14 Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.” ESV I am scratching my head. I am befuddled. I am confused. Wait, what? Mizpah? Is that a place? Ammonites? Is that a sea creature? Israel customs? Oy. Jesus spoke to them in parables. Boy, I’ll say. For many are called, but few are chosen . . . to understand what is even going on. I do not know about you, but I have never been able to just pick up the Bible, read a passage or two, and go: “Yup, I totally get it. That’s the message.” Brushes off shoulders, gets degrees in Theology, ancient Hebrew, and biblical Greek, high-fives an angel, and drops the mic. Nope. Nada. No way. N to the O. I sit. I stare. I scratch my head. I sigh. I question. I Google. Most of the time, I do not know what is going on. What is the Lord trying to tell me? How is The Holy Spirit interceding here? What message am I supposed to understand? WHAT IS GOING ON!? Pulls hair, throws pen, shakes fists into the air. But you know what? It doesn’t matter to me. I KNOW to the very core of my being of the power, strength, and eternity of God’s love for me. I KNOW Jesus saved my soul. I KNOW the Holy Spirit works through me. I do not have to understand every message, every parable, every riddle to know the truth of The Word. Even though I will continue to scratch my head—I still read. I still open that Book. I still reach out to those who understand more than I do. I listen. I stay open to the messages. I look at the foot notes, I use the Google, I ask, I question, I reflect. Those parables and riddles will sometimes remain a mystery to me. But the important part is that I am still open to the message within. His Word spans time. Forever. For everyone. I will be made to understand when it is the right time. Even if I have no idea what timbrels are. [bctt tweet="I still open that Book. I still reach out to those who understand more than I do. I listen."] How are you staying open when parts of Catholicism or Scripture don't make sense? photo by Corynne Olivia 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: Judges 9:6-15 All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and proceeded to make Abimelech king by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem. When this was reported to him, Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there, cried out to them in a loud voice: “Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you! Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil, whereby men and gods are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ But the fig tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ But the vine answered them, ‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men, and go to wave over the trees?’ Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ But the buckthorn replied to the trees, ‘If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith, come and take refuge in my shadow. Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 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. 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. Great is his glory in your victory; majesty and splendor you conferred upon him. You made him a blessing forever, you gladdened him with the joy of your face. Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16 Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.” ESV It feels good to see justice served, like in the movies when the bad guys get thrown in jail and the good guys get rewarded for their good and heroic deeds. Isn’t that satisfying? I mean, what kind of movie would it be if the good guys and the bad guys all got the same prize at the end? But that’s exactly the kind of story Jesus tells in today’s Gospel. We’ve got the faithful, responsible workers who were ready at sunrise and spent the entire day working in the vineyard. And then we’ve got the loiterers, probably up to no good, who work for just one hour, and still get the same wage. That’s not fair! My sense of justice is outraged. And that’s when I realize my idea of justice is different than God’s. My justice likes to see people get what they deserve. They really screwed up, and now they should pay the consequences. But God’s justice gives what none of us deserve, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.” (Ro 6:23) If God gave us what we deserved, we would all face death. Instead He desires to give mercy, and offers us all life. My justice holds people’s sins against them. Remember when they did that? Or when they said that hurtful thing to me? God’s justice forgives our pasts, “As far as the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.” (Ps 103:12) My justice likes to put my good deeds on display, and likes to get rewarded for them. God’s justice values humility, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Phil 2:3) and “when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.” (Mt 6:3) If I’m doing good deeds just for the recognition, I have veered way off-course. I’m realizing that our God is rich in mercy, and lavish in love. His desire is for all people to share in His eternal life, no matter where they’ve come from. I’m realizing that He has given me so much more than I deserve, and that I am called to show that kind of love and mercy to the world around me. [bctt tweet="My justice likes to put my good deeds on display...God’s justice values humility."] Lord, help me be as generous with others as You have been with me. photo by Corynne Olivia Anna Coyne is a wife, mother, knitter, gardener, and convert to the Catholic faith. Read more about her here.

First Reading: Judges 6:11-24A The angel of the LORD came and sat under the terebinth in Ophrah that belonged to Joash the Abiezrite. While his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from the Midianites, the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said, “The LORD is with you, O champion!” Gideon said to him, “My Lord, if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are his wondrous deeds of which our fathers told us when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?’ For now the LORD has abandoned us and has delivered us into the power of Midian.” The LORD turned to him and said, “Go with the strength you have and save Israel from the power of Midian. It is I who send you.” But Gideon answered him, “Please, my lord, how can I save Israel? My family is the lowliest in Manasseh, and I am the most insignificant in my father’s house.” “I shall be with you,” the LORD said to him, “and you will cut down Midian to the last man.” Gideon answered him, “If I find favor with you, give me a sign that you are speaking with me. Do not depart from here, I pray you, until I come back to you and bring out my offering and set it before you.” He answered, “I will await your return.” So Gideon went off and prepared a kid and a measure of flour in the form of unleavened cakes. Putting the meat in a basket and the broth in a pot, he brought them out to him under the terebinth and presented them. The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and unleavened cakes and lay them on this rock; then pour out the broth.” When he had done so, the angel of the LORD stretched out the tip of the staff he held, and touched the meat and unleavened cakes. Thereupon a fire came up from the rock that consumed the meat and unleavened cakes, and the angel of the LORD disappeared from sight. Gideon, now aware that it had been the angel of the LORD, said, “Alas, Lord GOD, that I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!” The LORD answered him, “Be calm, do not fear. You shall not die.” So Gideon built there an altar to the LORD and called it Yahweh-shalom. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 85:9, 11-12, 13-14 The Lord speaks of peace to his people. I will hear what God proclaims; the LORD–for he proclaims peace To his people, and to his faithful ones, and to those who put in him their hope. Kindness and truth shall meet; justice and peace shall kiss. Truth shall spring out of the earth, and justice shall look down from heaven. The LORD himself will give his benefits; our land shall yield its increase. Justice shall walk before him, and salvation, along the way of his steps. Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30 Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For men this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Then Peter said to him in reply, “We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you that you who have followed me, in the new age, when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory, will yourselves sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.” ESV "Lo, we have left everything and followed you." Peter certainly meant everything. In the early days of Jesus' mission, Peter had gotten to know Jesus with his brother Andrew, and had followed Jesus along the way as He taught. After a while, they returned to their lives as fishermen. One afternoon, as they were bent over their nets, Christ approached them and called them once and for all. "Come, and I will make you fishers of men." They did leave everything—their homes, their families, their land—for Jesus and for the sake of the Kingdom. I used to experience much confusion upon reflecting on this Gospel, but as I have prayed about it over the years I have come to see that what Christ calls us to here is a lack of attachment. He calls us to be so unattached from our worldly possessions, our families, our careers—that if He calls us to something else, we are willing to go. In my own life, He called me out of my journalism career into ministry a few years ago—although it was challenging to give up something I loved so much, I knew I could not hesitate for a moment to "put down my nets" in something I had studied and worked so hard to achieve. I know now that my career in ministry is far more fulfilling than my journalism career ever could have been . . . I see every day the manifestation of Christ promising one hundredfold if we are willing to let go. In all cases we are called to be willing to let go of what we love for the sake of following Jesus in order to receive this hundredfold of what we have left behind. When Christ calls us away from something, when Christ calls us to let go of something we love . . . it is always for something better. Always. No exceptions. Christ calls us to be attached to Him and Him alone. To what are you attached? Who would you be unable to leave for the sake of Christ? What big or little things come before your God? [bctt tweet="When Christ calls us to let go of something we love... it is always for something better."] Look into your heart and find what you are more attached to than Christ. Perhaps it is even the little things—you are more attached to checking e-mail than praying to begin the day or more attached to making sure you drive by Starbucks rather than the adoration chapel. Challenge yourself to put Christ in the place of that attachment today. photo by Corynne Olivia Emily Wilson planned her whole life to become a sports reporter but turned out to be a Catholic musician and speaker at the hand of God. She lives out of her suitcase and travels across the world speaking to people of all ages. The heart of her ministry is offering encouragement to teen girls in search of their true identity, and she loves ever second of it. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Judges 2:11-19 The children of Israel offended the LORD by serving the Baals. Abandoning the LORD, the God of their fathers, who led them out of the land of Egypt, they followed the other gods of the various nations around them, and by their worship of these gods provoked the LORD. Because they had thus abandoned him and served Baal and the Ashtaroth, the anger of the LORD flared up against Israel, and he delivered them over to plunderers who despoiled them. He allowed them to fall into the power of their enemies round about whom they were no longer able to withstand. Whatever they undertook, the LORD turned into disaster for them, as in his warning he had sworn he would do, till they were in great distress. Even when the LORD raised up judges to deliver them from the power of their despoilers, they did not listen to their judges, but abandoned themselves to the worship of other gods. They were quick to stray from the way their fathers had taken, and did not follow their example of obedience to the commandments of the LORD. Whenever the LORD raised up judges for them, he would be with the judge and save them from the power of their enemies as long as the judge lived; it was thus the LORD took pity on their distressful cries of affliction under their oppressors. But when the judge died, they would relapse and do worse than their ancestors, following other gods in service and worship, relinquishing none of their evil practices or stubborn conduct. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 106:34-35, 36-37, 39-40, 43AB & 44 Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. They did not exterminate the peoples, as the LORD had commanded them, But mingled with the nations and learned their works. They served their idols, which became a snare for them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They became defiled by their works, and wanton in their crimes. And the LORD grew angry with his people, and abhorred his inheritance. Many times did he rescue them, but they embittered him with their counsels. Yet he had regard for their affliction when he heard their cry. Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22 A young man approached Jesus and said, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good? There is only One who is good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked him, “Which ones?” And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The young man said to him, “All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?” Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. ESV A thousand times I have heard today’s Gospel. A thousand times I have hesitated. Yes, Lord, but—I have to finish college. I have to get a good job. We have to get settled. We have kids to raise. We have bills to pay. We have college educations to fund. We have retirement to plan for. A thousand excuses leap to my lips. I can’t sell everything I have. I can’t give it all to the poor. Not now. Not like that. I. Just. Can’t. Over the years this Gospel has turned me into an expert in rationalization. I interpret Jesus’ words creatively and conveniently in a thousand different ways. Well, maybe He meant . . . well, it could also mean . . . well, within my context . . . well, maybe for other people . . . well, I just can’t. But lately? This Gospel haunts me. Tugs on my sleeve while I’m washing dishes. Steals my sleep while I’m tossing and turning. I can’t escape the growing and glaring truth that Christ’s call could not be clearer. Go, sell what you have and give to the poor. Come, follow me. In a troublesome twist, my husband has started to feel this growing angst, too. This restlessness, this discomfort with our comfortable life as it is. We have been having conversations for months—years, if I’m honest—circling around the same question. How are we supposed to live as followers of Christ? We have no easy answers. We aren’t saints or prophets or missionaries. We don’t have any clue what this nudging might mean for our family, our jobs, or the rest of our lives. We don’t know what this change might be, how it will come, or what it will demand of us. Honestly, it is a terrifying prospect. I want to keep my comfortable life. I want to stop thinking about all these things. But this Gospel is ruining me. I want to stop being this sad young man. I want to stop going away sorrowful. I want to see what happens if I dare to stay there with Christ. If I say, “Okay. I’m going to try and do this. I want to follow you.” I pray that God will keep calling us, gently and lovingly, to let our lives be transformed by the Gospel. To give Him everything He asks. To say yes. [bctt tweet="I pray that God will keep calling us to let our lives be transformed by the Gospel."] So I have no easy take-away for you today. All I hope is that you will sit with me and wrestle with Jesus’ call, too. And wonder what might happen if we let His words change us. photo by Corynne Olivia Laura Kelly Fanucci is a mother, writer, and theological researcher. She and her husband are raising three little boys in the suburban wilds of Minnesota. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Proverbs 9:1-6 Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven columns; she has dressed her meat, mixed her wine, yes, she has spread her table. She has sent out her maidens; she calls from the heights out over the city: “Let whoever is simple turn in here; To the one who lacks understanding, she says, Come, eat of my food, and drink of the wine I have mixed! Forsake foolishness that you may live; advance in the way of understanding.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. 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. Glorify the LORD with me, let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy, and your faces may not blush with shame. When the poor one called out, the LORD heard, and from all his distress he saved him. Second Reading: Ephesians 5:15-20 Brothers and sisters: Watch carefully how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Gospel: John 6:51-58 Jesus said to the crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” ESV Today's readings speak of wisdom. In thinking about wisdom, I can't help but think of little children. Countless times working as a catechist and teacher, I have been amazed by the wisdom of young children. "Out of the mouths of babes, comes wisdom." How true it is. We adults often want to know all the answers, to make all the right decisions, and to get it right without any mistake. We want to be so "wise." Yet today's readings invite us to be simple and turn like little children to receive the gifts of wisdom and goodness from God's banquet table. The First Reading refers to wisdom as a woman who has prepared her table of rich food and drink, and the Gospel reveals Jesus, true Wisdom Incarnate, who gives Himself to us as our true food and drink at the Eucharistic table. It's often so hard to know what to do, how to discern and what decisions to make. How can we know the right answer? How do we know what is best? In these times, we need wisdom. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to fill and inspire us with His wisdom. The readings teach us that God's wisdom is not given to those who are knowledgeable by earthly standards. Wisdom is given to the simple, to those who do not understand, and to those who don't have all the answers. Wisdom is given to the childlike, especially to those who turn in confidence to their Heavenly Father. Today's Psalm reminds us that in turning to God in the distress of our struggles, we taste and see God's goodness. God frees us from shame, and our mouths are filled with praise and our faces radiant with joy! What a beautiful description of wisdom lived out as a true Christian! This is the joy and glory of the children of God who are ever "singing and playing to the Lord in their hearts," in praise and gratitude! By coming to us as a little child, Jesus shows us the way. Furthermore, He gives us His grace and invites us to come and receive His whole self to us in the Eucharist. Today, let's turn to the Lord and become like little children, simple and pure, delighting in the nourishment of our Eucharistic Jesus, the source of all wisdom and life. [bctt tweet="Turn to the Lord and become like little children, simple and pure."] How can you turn today and become like little children? What "foolishness" do you need to forsake today in order to receive the gifts of true wisdom? 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 silly poems. You can find out more about her here.

What a year it has been! Well, almost a year; it's been almost a year since Blessed Is She first opened its online gates and what a year it has been indeed. We've gone from a start up group asking friends and family for likes and shares to be inundated with additions to our Regional Groups, women sitting through the Liturgical Year with our planners and writers and readers a like connecting, face to face in brunches and small meetings all over the country. In fact, not just the country, all over the world! Women from all walks of life, all backgrounds and ages are meeting, connecting, praying and growing with each other together. We, like that small child Elizabeth holds under her heart, are leaping with joy. It's so easy to get discouraged with the way of the world, a lot has changed in the last year whether it's in a big way or just in our own families and neighborhoods. We've all had set backs, tears and joys, but throughout that we've sought a connection through something bigger than ourselves. We have heard Mary's greeting; we have heard her call, God's call, to each of us to seek out a way to bring Scripture and prayer into our lives, to find like-minded women, to pray and support each other: here we are. Like Saint Catherine of Siena says, we are being who we are meant to be and we are setting the world on fire. We are connecting in age that tells us to disconnect. We are challenging ourselves in a world that tells us it's okay to take the easy way out. Everyday I log on to this computer and I see Blessed Is She on fire with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I see the wonder, reverence and awe of God in our lives as we share the miracles, big and small. I see wisdom and counsel as we share our experiences and our knowledge. I see understanding as we learn to speak to one another about the challenges we face and the questions we struggle with. I see strength in the women who share with us the difficulties in their lives and in the women who hold up their sisters, even with such a simple act as a "like" on status or a reply to an email. It is amazing to see the work this little website is doing in our readers' lives. It's amazing to see the work it is doing in the lives of our writers. So today I greet you, sister; sisters who have been here since the beginning and sister who is new to us. We are glad you are here. You are a blessing to us and a blessing to the world. We hope you will find solace here, a place to be yourself, to find fortitude in God and in each other. We look forward to the coming year and can't wait to see how you will continue to proclaim the wonder of God and to rejoice together as He moves within us. [bctt tweet="You are a blessing to us and a blessing to the world."] You are here because God wants something from you, He wants something from your life. This year we will listen to what God is asking of us, big and small and set the world on fire with His love. We will go out into the world to speak His words, to do His work, and to do all in His name remembering all the time that blessed is she who lets God in to her life and who goes in His name to her sister to share the good news. photo by Madi Myers-Cook 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: Joshua 24:1-13 Joshua gathered together all the tribes of Israel at Shechem, summoning their elders, their leaders, their judges and their officers. When they stood in ranks before God, Joshua addressed all the people: “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: In times past your fathers, down to Terah, father of Abraham and Nahor, dwelt beyond the River and served other gods. But I brought your father Abraham from the region beyond the River and led him through the entire land of Canaan. I made his descendants numerous, and gave him Isaac. To Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I assigned the mountain region of Seir in which to settle, while Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and smote Egypt with the prodigies which I wrought in her midst. Afterward I led you out of Egypt, and when you reached the sea, the Egyptians pursued your fathers to the Red Sea with chariots and horsemen. Because they cried out to the LORD, he put darkness between your people and the Egyptians, upon whom he brought the sea so that it engulfed them. After you witnessed what I did to Egypt, and dwelt a long time in the desert, I brought you into the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I delivered them into your power. You took possession of their land, and I destroyed them, the two kings of the Amorites, before you. Then Balak, son of Zippor, king of Moab, prepared to war against Israel. He summoned Balaam, son of Beor, to curse you; but I would not listen to Balaam. On the contrary, he had to bless you, and I saved you from him. Once you crossed the Jordan and came to Jericho, the men of Jericho fought against you, but I delivered them also into your power. And I sent the hornets ahead of you that drove them (the Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, Hivites and Jebusites) out of your way; it was not your sword or your bow. “I gave you a land that you had not tilled and cities that you had not built, to dwell in; you have eaten of vineyards and olive groves which you did not plant.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 136:1-3, 16-18, 21-22 & 24 His mercy endures forever. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever; Give thanks to the God of gods, for his mercy endures forever; Give thanks to the LORD of lords, for his mercy endures forever. Who led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endures forever; Who smote great kings, for his mercy endures forever; And slew powerful kings, for his mercy endures forever. And made their land a heritage, for his mercy endures forever; The heritage of Israel his servant, for his mercy endures forever; And freed us from our foes, for his mercy endures forever. Gospel: Matthew 19:3-12 Some Pharisees approached Jesus, and tested him, saying, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause whatever?” He said in reply, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female and said, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.” They said to him, “Then why did Moses command that the man give the woman a bill of divorce and dismiss her?” He said to them, “Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say to you, whoever divorces his wife (unless the marriage is unlawful) and marries another commits adultery.” His disciples said to him, “If that is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” He answered, “Not all can accept this word, but only those to whom that is granted. Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it.” ESV Today's Gospel is one that speaks to how difficult the life of the Gospel can be to live. It is hard to accept that Jesus is telling us in this passage that divorce is not allowed and that not everyone is called to marriage. And yet, these are Christ's very words, and they, as always, impart to us grace and love. But it is so hard for us to hear "no" to something and yet still hear love, because we are living in a world that equates love to being cheered and supported when doing whatever you want to the fullest extent possible. We have no understanding that love can mean boundaries, parameters, and duties. We have lost the understanding of love that means to will the good of the other—the true good of the other. In today's Gospel we come face to face with the fact that Christ's words ask us to live our life in a certain way. The Gospel asks of us in difficult ways because the Gospel is meant to transform our lives. To take us out of sin and into grace and the life of Christ means that we have to choose to live our lives according to Christ's words and commands. That's not to say that choosing to live a life of faith in Christ's words, faith in the Gospel, comes easily to us all the time. It can be painfully difficult to accept Christ's words when we're in relationships that are complicated and difficult. Sometimes we can only take small steps out in grace in order to follow Christ's words. And we have to trust in God that our small acts of faith, each choice we make for the Gospel, will culminate in an entire life lived for the Gospel. Christ gives us these instructions to help us accept His love and to live in His love, both in this world and ultimately in the next. We need to remind ourselves that it is so worth it to put our faith in Christ, even when it's the most difficult. [bctt tweet="It is so worth it to put our faith in Christ, even when it's the most difficult."] Living the Gospel isn't easy. Can I make small changes in my life to better live out Christ's teachings? Can I help those around me make those choices as well? Lord, give us the strength to seek Your will in all areas of our lives. photo by Corynne Olivia 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: Joshua 3:7-10A, 11, 13-17 The LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you, as I was with Moses. Now command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant to come to a halt in the Jordan when you reach the edge of the waters.” So Joshua said to the children of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD, your God. This is how you will know that there is a living God in your midst, who at your approach will dispossess the Canaanites. The ark of the covenant of the LORD of the whole earth will precede you into the Jordan. When the soles of the feet of the priests carrying the ark of the LORD, the Lord of the whole earth, touch the water of the Jordan, it will cease to flow; for the water flowing down from upstream will halt in a solid bank.” The people struck their tents to cross the Jordan, with the priests carrying the ark of the covenant ahead of them. No sooner had these priestly bearers of the ark waded into the waters at the edge of the Jordan, which overflows all its banks during the entire season of the harvest, than the waters flowing from upstream halted, backing up in a solid mass for a very great distance indeed, from Adam, a city in the direction of Zarethan; while those flowing downstream toward the Salt Sea of the Arabah disappeared entirely. Thus the people crossed over opposite Jericho. While all Israel crossed over on dry ground, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant of the LORD remained motionless on dry ground in the bed of the Jordan until the whole nation had completed the passage. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 114:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 Alleluia! When Israel came forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of alien tongue, Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his domain. The sea beheld and fled; Jordan turned back. The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like the lambs of the flock. Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? You mountains, that you skip like rams? You hills, like the lambs of the flock? Gospel: Matthew 18:21–19:1 Peter approached Jesus and asked him, “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times. That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who decided to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the accounting, a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. Since he had no way of paying it back, his master ordered him to be sold, along with his wife, his children, and all his property, in payment of the debt. At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’ Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan. When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a much smaller amount. He seized him and started to choke him, demanding, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ But he refused. Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prison until he paid back the debt. Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened, they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master and reported the whole affair. His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to. Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers until he should pay back the whole debt. So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.” When Jesus finished these words, he left Galilee and went to the district of Judea across the Jordan. ESV A young child struggling to tie her shoes, yet determined. Her parents impatiently demand she “hurry up already!” She just wants a little more time. A tween, beginning to face the drama in junior high, she struggles with what to wear, wanting to feel good about herself. Mom hollers at her to just get dressed or she’ll miss breakfast before school. A teen trying so hard to fit in, to find her way, to be strong and self-assured. The girls are clique-ish, the boys are interested in dating not friendship, the teachers’ demands in class are high. She doesn’t want to face the day at school, but be all alone. Her brother demands she get out of bed so they aren’t late. The young woman who hears a barrage of questions: When are you going to choose a major, get married, have a baby, lose weight, get a better job . . . ??? We’ve faced these and similar situations. We just want our friends and family to be patient with us as we seek to be our best selves, find our way, and more than anything—to be loved. We, too, need our God to be patient with us. He is. Always loving, always patient, always there to remind us of His constant love, no matter our short-comings. Oh, the shortcomings are many, are they not? We bring ourselves down with thinking we’re too fat, too thin, too slow, too this, too that. We let others bring us down. We snap back, we gossip, we try to make ourselves feel better. Instead of seeking the love and patience from our Heavenly Father, we fall into the traps and snares of Satan’s lies and hate-talk. We let the debts of our sins pile up and dim the gift of forgiveness that our God has to offer. My dear sisters, forgiveness is unending. That is what Jesus means to forgive “seven times seventy times.” Yes, we ought always and daily to strive to forgive our friends and family from the depths of our hearts. Yet, are we forgiving ourselves for the self-doubt, the self-hate, the giving into that same sin? Are we patient with ourselves as we grow in grace and holiness? Or are we giving into the lies of Satan who seeks to distract, destroy, bring us down? Take some time today—everyday—to lean back on Jesus. Saints are made when we let His grace be enough, and when we are patient with ourselves as His love works in our hearts. [bctt tweet="My dear sisters, forgiveness is unending."] Let His grace wash over you, and allow yourself forgiveness. photo by Corynne Olivia Gina Fensterer is a wife, daughter, mother, friend, homeschooling mama and Colorado native. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 34:1-12 Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, the headland of Pisgah which faces Jericho, and the LORD showed him all the land— Gilead, and as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb, the circuit of the Jordan with the lowlands at Jericho, city of palms, and as far as Zoar. The LORD then said to him, “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants. I have let you feast your eyes upon it, but you shall not cross over.” So there, in the land of Moab, Moses, the servant of the LORD, died as the LORD had said; and he was buried in the ravine opposite Beth-peor in the land of Moab, but to this day no one knows the place of his burial. Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. For thirty days the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab, till they had completed the period of grief and mourning for Moses. Now Joshua, son of Nun, was filled with the spirit of wisdom, since Moses had laid his hands upon him; and so the children of Israel gave him their obedience, thus carrying out the LORD’s command to Moses. Since then no prophet has arisen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. He had no equal in all the signs and wonders the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt against Pharaoh and all his servants and against all his land, and for the might and the terrifying power that Moses exhibited in the sight of all Israel. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 66:1-3A, 5 & 8, 16-17 Blessed be God who filled my soul with fire! Shout joyfully to God, all the earth; sing praise to the glory of his name; proclaim his glorious praise. Say to God: “How tremendous are your deeds!” Come and see the works of God, his tremendous deeds among the children of Adam. Bless our God, you peoples; loudly sound his praise. Hear now, all you who fear God, while I declare what he has done for me. When I appealed to him in words, praise was on the tip of my tongue. Gospel: Matthew 18:15-20 Jesus said to his disciples: “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother. If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, so that every fact may be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church. If he refuses to listen even to the Church, then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector. Amen, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” ESV When we were little, and someone wronged us, what was typically our first reaction? To tattle-tale, right? Someone cuts in front of us in the lunch line? Mrs. Smith gets notified. Someone pushes us down? We scream and let the whole world know. Big brother dismembers our Barbies? Mom's going to get an ear full from us. When we were little, and someone sinned against us, we usually never went to the source, we went to go tell someone else. Is that something we've really grown out of, ladies? Now, while most of us probably no longer have line cutter, shoving down, or stolen toy issues as adults, people still hurt us. People still sin against us. People still tick us off, hurt our feelings, betray us, and treat us poorly. What is typically our first reaction? I daresay that our first instinct is to go tell someone else how awful the perpetrator is. We want the offense to be made known to third parties because we want the perceived injustice to be affirmed and our egos stroked. We want these third parties, be they girlfriends, parents, spouses, or the store clerk to be on our side, to engage in gossip about another, and to repay a blow with a stronger one. Jesus is talking to us today, girls, and it's a tough pill to swallow. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone" (emphasis mine). If someone hurts us, wrongs us, the most logical and most charitable thing to do is to talk directly to them about it. It makes so much sense. Yet how many of us struggle daily to adhere to this command from our Lord? So let's do this—let's help each other, ok? Let's be together in this. Let's do our part to encourage one another in the giving up of gossip. Let's shut it down. Because Jesus knows what He's talking about, obviously. He knows that gossip is like a poison that flows out from our hardened hearts, and He wants those hearts to be whole and healed. [bctt tweet="He knows that gossip is like a poison that flows out from our hardened hearts."] How can you encourage the women in your life to go directly to the one who offended them? How can we love one another, and hear one another's frustrations without inviting unnecessary slander? How can we keep our own mouths shut when all we want to do is tell on someone? photo by Corynne Olivia Olivia Spears is a middle school religion teacher turned SAHM who is married to her high school best friend. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 31:1-8 When Moses had finished speaking to all Israel, he said to them, “I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to move about freely; besides, the LORD has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan. It is the LORD, your God, who will cross before you; he will destroy these nations before you, that you may supplant them. It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the LORD promised. The LORD will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed, and with their country. When, therefore, the LORD delivers them up to you, you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you. Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the LORD, your God, who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you.” Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel said to him, “Be brave and steadfast, for you must bring this people into the land which the LORD swore to their fathers he would give them; you must put them in possession of their heritage. It is the LORD who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed.” Responsorial Psalm: Deuteronomy 32:3-4AB, 7, 8, 9 & 12 The portion of the Lord is his people. For I will sing the LORD’s renown. Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God! The Rock–how faultless are his deeds, how right all his ways! Think back on the days of old, reflect on the years of age upon age. Ask your father and he will inform you, ask your elders and they will tell you. When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage, when he parceled out the descendants of Adam, He set up the boundaries of the peoples after the number of the sons of Israel. While the LORD’s own portion was Jacob, his hereditary share was Israel. The LORD alone was their leader, no strange god was with him. Gospel: Matthew 18:1-5, 10, 12-14 The disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me. “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father. What is your opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be lost.” ESV Today is the feast of Saint Clare. When I was seventeen and visiting Assisi, I’d been impressed by her incorrupt body and her basilica’s striped facade. So I decided to take her as my confirmation patron (and be a little exotic about it by choosing Chiara, her Italian name). Clare was raised in a wealthy and devout home in Assisi, and at eighteen, she heard St. Francis preach a Lenten service. A holier teen than me, she was so moved by the homily that she left her father’s house on Palm Sunday to join Francis. He cropped her hair and traded her gown for a rough habit. She convinced her father to let her stay in the convent, and later, she founded a new order. Her “Poor Ladies” lived life of such extreme poverty that they had to receive special permission from Saint Pope Gregory the Great to continue living so simply. Even without considering her devotions and miracles, that’s a pretty incredible woman. Her radical trust in the providence of Christ reflects the example of the child in today’s Gospel. Clare lived with almost nothing, relying wholly on the Eucharist and her deep trust in Jesus. She truly became humble like a child, and I imagine she is spending eternity as she lived her life: close to the foot of the Lord. No one had warned me that I was taking such a powerful woman as my patron saint, but I am so glad I did. As I stumble through my twenties with many questions of discernment, I am constantly asking, “How will I know when something is the right thing?” I think Saint Clare offers me at least part of the answer. The right thing is the moment that shines right into my heart when it is open toward Christ. I may not run home from hearing a homily, ready to toss aside all I own, but I can be receptive and prepared to listen with a yes on my lips when I hear His call. Clare's heart, primed from a childhood focused on God and resting in the Church, was listening and ready to be found. Jesus looks for you and me the same way He was looking for Clare: He seeks each of us, ready to rejoice in us as the shepherd rejoices in his lost sheep. Only with humble hearts can we truly listen to hear the Shepherd calling. [bctt tweet="He seeks each of us, ready to rejoice in us as the shepherd rejoices in his lost sheep."] Today, pray that your heart is humble and open to Jesus, and that you, like St. Clare, will turn to him when you hear his call. 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: 2 Corinthians 9:6-10 Brothers and sisters: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: He scatters abroad, he gives to the poor; his righteousness endures forever. The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 112:1-2, 5-6, 7-8, 9 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. Well for the man who is gracious and lends, who conducts his affairs with justice; He shall never be moved; the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance. An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD. His heart is steadfast; he shall not fear till he looks down upon his foes. Lavishly he gives to the poor, his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory. Gospel: John 12:24-26 Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor whoever serves me.” ESV Be gracious. Give lavishly to the poor. Sow bountifully. Today's readings sound so apt, so appropriate for the tail-end of summer. Of course! Be generous and do nice things for other people. Surely we can all look back at our summer and reflect happily with a hint of self-congratulations on the "nice" things we accomplished or partook in. The Gospel, though. Death and loss, all wrapped up in following Christ? That's not so sweet and lavish and nice sounding. That sounds like something uncomfortable, un-fun, and frankly, un-performable by this crew over here. I stare at a stack of fabrics on my work table. They're festive and beautiful, lavish and lovely. Before I begin to cut into one of them, testing a new pattern, my head feels light and clear. The thrill and novelty, the delight of opportunity. There's a sensation of peace and joy that comes along for me with creating patterns and textiles. But when it comes time to buckle down and sew out two dozen orders, suddenly the charge of energy isn't there anymore. My easily distracted mind wants to make a new item, work with a new fabric. I'm fickle. I don't want to follow through on the work. Don't get me wrong: finishing projects and sending them out the door to customers for the little loves in their lives? That feeling, I love. But I love less the pile of work. I love less the interruptions, the elusive sense of completion unless I work late into the night. I don't love the death part, the killing off my faux ADHD, the loss of what I feel like doing that's replaced by what I need to do. This seems a trivial example. Nell's sewing escapades. But I'm finding that in saying a determined "no" to my distracted self, whether it be to fiddle online instead of finish a project, I can build the muscle of self-determination, self-discipline. I'll love better, follow Christ better, be better able to die to myself to live for those I love. It's just hard to stay on task and say "no" to my inner three-year-old. [bctt tweet="Be gracious. Give lavishly to the poor. Sow bountifully."] Are you shying away from buckling down and facing something in your life? Are you indulging your inner three-year-old? You'll feel better once you push past the discomfort and leap to follow Christ, even in the littlest things. Promise. photo by Corynne Olivia 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 Kings 19:4-8 Elijah went a day’s journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death saying: “This is enough, O LORD! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. Elijah looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the LORD came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, “Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!” He got up, ate, and drank; then strengthened by that food, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, Horeb. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 Taste and see the goodness of the Lord. 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. Glorify the LORD with me, Let us together extol his name. I sought the LORD, and he answered me And delivered me from all my fears. Look to him that you may be radiant with joy. And your faces may not blush with shame. When the afflicted man called out, the LORD heard, And from all his distress he saved him. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him and delivers them. Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him. Second Reading: Ephesians 4:30—5:2 Brothers and sisters: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were sealed for the day of redemption. All bitterness, fury, anger, shouting, and reviling must be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma. Gospel: John 6:41-51 The Jews murmured about Jesus because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven, ” and they said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph? Do we not know his father and mother? Then how can he say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop murmuring among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.” ESV It was a year ago tomorrow. I had just returned from a conference. Stepping out of my car to see my husband and babies after three days away, he greeted me with tears streaming down his face, clutched me in his arms, and told me there was terrible news. My cousin, a 17-year-old beauty in every way, had taken her life. I went numb. Why? She had so much going for her, came from an incredible, loving family, and had a personality that few could rival. She was a daily dose of truth and comic relief when you needed it most. She was making tough choices in a time of life when every aspect can seem unbearable. She loved God. Entering her senior year, with a world of possibilities ahead . . . she just couldn’t do it. I don’t know why. No one does. And, even if I did, the pain wouldn’t go away. Something, deep down, was more than she could bear. And, as she cried out for Him, maybe she couldn’t feel His arms enveloping her in His love whispering that everything would be all right. Maybe, unlike Elijah, her clouded vision prevented her from seeing a guardian angel promising to pull her through the muck of her current state. For whatever reason, she is gone. As I daily pray for her soul, and hope she is sitting near Jesus now in the unimaginable beauty of Heaven, I cannot help but wish there was something I could have done. What if I would have asked her to stay a bit longer in that last visit we had just four days before? What if I had pried to get past the common answer of “fine” when I asked how she was doing? What if anything I could have done would have changed the course of her life on that fateful Sunday afternoon? I would have done it. But it’s too late. Yet, it’s not too late to reach out to another. As Christ instructs us . . . be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you . . . . For those around us whose inner struggles seem too much to bear, let’s remind them of the hope in Him in any way we can. Maybe God is trying to send us to them at that moment as a messenger to “get up and eat” lest the journey be too hard. Let’s not miss the opportunity. And if you find yourself in that place, remember Elijah, and more importantly how God answered him. He is the answer to our cry for help…even if it’s a whisper so faint we question if we heard anything. [bctt tweet="He is the answer to our cry for help."] Is there something in your life you cannot seem to bear? Cry out for help, and let God help you through those around you. photo by Corynne Olivia 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.