First Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-13 Moses said to the people: “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone! Therefore, you shall love the LORD, your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength. Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. Bind them at your wrist as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. “When the LORD, your God, brings you into the land which he swore to your fathers: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would give you, a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, with houses full of goods of all sorts that you did not garner, with cisterns that you did not dig, with vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant; and when, therefore, you eat your fill, take care not to forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery. The LORD, your God, shall you fear; him shall you serve, and by his name shall you swear.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 18:2-3A, 3BC-4, 47 & 51 I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer. My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold! Praised be the LORD, I exclaim! And I am safe from my enemies. The LORD live! And blessed be my Rock! Extolled be God my savior! You who gave great victories to your king, and showed kindness to your anointed, to David and his posterity forever. Gospel: Matthew 17:14-20 A man came up to Jesus, knelt down before him, and said, “Lord, have pity on my son, who is a lunatic and suffers severely; often he falls into fire, and often into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus said in reply, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long will I endure you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked him and the demon came out of him, and from that hour the boy was cured. Then the disciples approached Jesus in private and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” ESV When reading the scriptures for today I couldn’t help but marvel at their current-time applicability. Timeless is the word of God! Many of us have experienced a sort of cultural frustration recently as popular opinion has shifted dramatically in the last decade. Our world is becoming ever more secular and many faithful and devout Catholics have found themselves wondering when to speak out the truth in a world that has wandered into myths. Saint Paul reminds us as he write to Timothy that we are instructed to preach the word although many will not want to hear it. We are to endure suffering yet and hold fast while we evangelize. How do we best fulfill our ministry and do the work of an evangelist in a world that has “itching ears”? How do we become teachers when the world looks to teachers who “suit their own likings”? How do we stay current to the times while still holding fast to the fundamental truths of our faith and our dignity as men and women? The Psalm and the Gospel both give us the answer. We are to trust in the Lord, delight in the Lord, and commit our ways to the Lord. Too often we lament over the choices of others and even the choices of our leaders. We are not called to ring our hands and shed tears. We are the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We are called to be an example of love and truth and righteousness and compassion and all that is good. We are His people and our direction is clear. Our souls are His. We must not waver from His truth in hopes of being more popular or more palatable to the populace. The light of Christ shines in each of us and we are called to let that light shine unapologetically for His good. Let our works, our words, our deeds, our writing, joyously reflect His light, that we may brilliantly light a path for others to follow. [bctt tweet="The light of Christ shines in each of us and we are called to let that light shine."] Take heart dear sisters. You are not alone in this world. May our light, shining from every part of the world to be a little beacon of hope to others. Don’t be afraid to reach out to others and look for the light in your sisters when you feel alone. photo by Corynne Olivia MaryRuth Hackett is a full-time wife and mother doing her best to teach her four children to love God and country. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Deuteronomy 4:32-40 Moses said to the people: “Ask now of the days of old, before your time, ever since God created man upon the earth; ask from one end of the sky to the other: Did anything so great ever happen before? Was it ever heard of? Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of fire, as you did, and live? Or did any god venture to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, with his strong hand and outstretched arm, and by great terrors, all of which the LORD, your God, did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? All this you were allowed to see that you might know the LORD is God and there is no other. Out of the heavens he let you hear his voice to discipline you; on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard him speaking out of the fire. For love of your fathers he chose their descendants and personally led you out of Egypt by his great power, driving out of your way nations greater and mightier than you, so as to bring you in and to make their land your heritage, as it is today. This is why you must now know, and fix in your heart, that the LORD is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today, that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may have long life on the land which the LORD, your God, is giving you forever.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 77:12-13, 14-15, 16 AND 21 I remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I remember your wonders of old. And I meditate on your works; your exploits I ponder. O God, your way is holy; what great god is there like our God? You are the God who works wonders; among the peoples you have made known your power. With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. You led your people like a flock under the care of Moses and Aaron. Gospel: Matthew 16:24-28 Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father’s glory, and then he will repay each according to his conduct. Amen, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” ESV Do you ever wonder if sometimes God looks down at you going through your days, letting yourself get all jacked up about every little thing, and just shakes His head? I do. All the time. Because no matter how many times God has come through for me, shown me with signs and wonders how He is right here in the middle of this crazy life with me, revealing His miraculous care for even the tiniest details of my life, I am so quick to hit the internal panic button. And to put the pressure on my Heavenly Father to show up and make me a miracle. And pronto. When the stress of all the needs that must be met around me begins to pile up, I tend to lose focus. I take all the work on myself and then put all the pressure on God to bail me out of my flailing, drowning, collapsing misery. And He does. But I think there are times He would prefer if I learned my lesson once and for all. If I could know in my heart that He is God. And He doesn’t need me to tell Him how to do it. My part is to obey His commands. And the first of those is to remember that He is God and put nothing before Him. And then to take up my cross and follow Jesus. Do you know what I often forget about those commands? God doesn’t ask me to see the long list of tasks or the trials before me, push hard through it until I realize I am in over my head. God promises to go ahead of me and asks me to simply follow him and trust He knows the way. How would my days look if I handled their cumulative stress by looking for the ways God is walking ahead of me, noticing all the ways He is miraculously present there in my need, waiting for Him to lead and guide me? What if I only took a step after I was sure He had stepped out ahead of me? This is what I think it would look like to lose my life to save it. To lay down my own way and wait for God to show me His. I bet there would less panicked forfeiting and lot more going well with me. [bctt tweet="What if I only took a step after I was sure He had stepped out ahead of me?"] Lord, help me remember today that I lose my way when I take up my cross and head out on the road ahead of You. Remind me that losing my life, laying down my own will, and waiting to know Yours, is the way to true salvation—one that doesn’t need constant rescuing but walks steadily behind You toward the Kingdom of Heaven. photo by Madi Myers Cook Colleen Mitchell is wife to Greg and mother to five amazing sons here on earth. They serve in Costa Rica where they run the St. Francis Emmaus Center, a ministry that welcomes indigenous mothers into their home to provide them access to medical care, support and education in the weeks before and after the birth of a child. Find out more about her here.

First Reading: Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 As I watched: Thrones were set up and the Ancient One took his throne. His clothing was bright as snow, and the hair on his head as white as wool; his throne was flames of fire, with wheels of burning fire. A surging stream of fire flowed out from where he sat; Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened and the books were opened. As the visions during the night continued, I saw: One like a Son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven; When he reached the Ancient One and was presented before him, The one like a Son of man received dominion, glory, and kingship; all peoples, nations, and languages serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, his kingship shall not be destroyed. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 97:1-2, 5-6, 9 The Lord is king, the Most High over all the earth. The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad. Clouds and darkness are round about him, justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne. The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the LORD of all the earth. The heavens proclaim his justice, and all peoples see his glory. Because you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth, exalted far above all gods. Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-19 Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that unique declaration came to him from the majestic glory, “This is my Son, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven while we were with him on the holy mountain. Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Gospel: Mark 9:2-10 Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. ESV Picture this: The show is over. It’s the end of another evening at the theater. The audience has left and the house lights and stage lights are turned off. The large, empty space is filled with darkness minus a single, uncovered bulb lit on a lamp stand in the middle of the stage. It’s a remarkable sight really, the contrast of darkness and light never starker. This “ghost light” will remain on through the night until someone comes in the next day to illuminate the theater once more. It’s this image that came to my mind when I read Saint Peter’s words: “Moreover, we possess the prophetic message that is altogether reliable. You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.” Then in the gospel we hear the story of Jesus’s transfiguration. His clothes are described as dazzling white, a brilliance we can only begin to imagine. This is my beloved Son, God says. Listen to Him. Listen. My senses are struck: The visual image of Christ’s brightness, seeing Christ as Light. The command from God to listen to Jesus. Yet how often in my relationship with Christ do I use these senses? How often do I do much more than talk at the Lord, listing off my intentions, concerns, and requests? I don’t know about you, but I fail to listen. I fail to make the time and space to retreat to the mountaintop, so to speak. I fail to see His Light in those around me. God wants more for us, sisters. As His beloved daughters, He wants to transfigure our hearts that we might become more like His Son. That we might be a glimmer of light in the darkness for those around us. That we might shine brighter and brighter until we too are dazzling white. [bctt tweet="As His beloved daughters, He wants to transfigure our hearts that we might become more like His Son."] Join me in praying: Open my eyes Lord, help me to see your face. Open my ears Lord, that I might hear your voice. And then take the time to be still, that God might begin to transfigure your heart. photo by Corynne Olivia Elise Howe is a devoted wife, new momma, and musician currently living in NYC, though she will always be a midwestern gal at heart. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Numbers 13:1-2, 25–14:1, 26A-29A, 34-35 The LORD said to Moses [in the desert of Paran,] “Send men to reconnoiter the land of Canaan, which I am giving the children of Israel. You shall send one man from each ancestral tribe, all of them princes.” After reconnoitering the land for forty days they returned, met Moses and Aaron and the whole congregation of the children of Israel in the desert of Paran at Kadesh, made a report to them all, and showed the fruit of the country to the whole congregation. They told Moses: “We went into the land to which you sent us. It does indeed flow with milk and honey, and here is its fruit. However, the people who are living in the land are fierce, and the towns are fortified and very strong. Besides, we saw descendants of the Anakim there. Amalekites live in the region of the Negeb; Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites dwell in the highlands, and Canaanites along the seacoast and the banks of the Jordan.” Caleb, however, to quiet the people toward Moses, said, “We ought to go up and seize the land, for we can certainly do so.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We cannot attack these people; they are too strong for us.” So they spread discouraging reports among the children of Israel about the land they had scouted, saying, “The land that we explored is a country that consumes its inhabitants. And all the people we saw there are huge, veritable giants (the Anakim were a race of giants); we felt like mere grasshoppers, and so we must have seemed to them.” At this, the whole community broke out with loud cries, and even in the night the people wailed. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “How long will this wicked assembly grumble against me? I have heard the grumblings of the children of Israel against me. Tell them: By my life, says the LORD, I will do to you just what I have heard you say. Here in the desert shall your dead bodies fall. Forty days you spent in scouting the land; forty years shall you suffer for your crimes: one year for each day. Thus you will realize what it means to oppose me. I, the LORD, have sworn to do this to all this wicked assembly that conspired against me: here in the desert they shall die to the last man.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 106:6-7AB, 13-14, 21-22, 23 Remember us, O Lord, as you favor your people. We have sinned, we and our fathers; we have committed crimes; we have done wrong. Our fathers in Egypt considered not your wonders. But soon they forgot his works; they waited not for his counsel. They gave way to craving in the desert and tempted God in the wilderness. They forgot the God who had saved them, who had done great deeds in Egypt, Wondrous deeds in the land of Ham, terrible things at the Red Sea. Then he spoke of exterminating them, but Moses, his chosen one, Withstood him in the breach to turn back his destructive wrath. Gospel: Matthew 15: 21-28 At that time Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.” But he did not say a word in answer to her. His disciples came and asked him, “Send her away, for she keeps calling out after us.” He said in reply, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But the woman came and did him homage, saying, “Lord, help me.” He said in reply “It is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” She said, “Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.” Then Jesus said to her in reply, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed from that hour. ESV Though it may seem otherwise, Christ was not being cold-hearted to the mother in the Gospel reading. He was not humiliating her, calling her a dog, and saying that she wasn't good enough. Instead, I believe He was exposing the fullness of her faith and humility. I am impressed with this Canaanite woman. She was a devoted and very worried mother. She was in need of a miracle and in her desperation she had a literal "Come to Jesus Moment." Her love for her daughter made her persistent. Her faith that Christ could save her daughter was so powerful that Jesus was moved by it and did as she asked. A miracle happened and the Canaanite woman's story was recorded to be a witness to us all, throughout the ages. Sometimes when we pray it seems like God is ignoring us. He doesn't answer us when we call out to Him, and in our discouragement we feel like we have been dismissed from His presence. Remember the Canaanite woman. Remember that she kept calling out to our Lord. She was not afraid to hash things out with Him; she was not afraid to look a fool. If you are in a time of dryness, darkness, or unanswered prayers perhaps God is exposing the fullness of your faith and humility. Perhaps God is actually setting the scene for a miracle. photo by Madi Myers Cook 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: Numbers 11:4B-15 The children of Israel lamented, “Would that we had meat for food! We remember the fish we used to eat without cost in Egypt, and the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now we are famished; we see nothing before us but this manna.” Manna was like coriander seed and had the color of resin. When they had gone about and gathered it up, the people would grind it between millstones or pound it in a mortar, then cook it in a pot and make it into loaves, which tasted like cakes made with oil. At night, when the dew fell upon the camp, the manna also fell. When Moses heard the people, family after family, crying at the entrance of their tents, so that the LORD became very angry, he was grieved. “Why do you treat your servant so badly?” Moses asked the LORD.“Why are you so displeased with me that you burden me with all this people? Was it I who conceived all this people? Or was it I who gave them birth, that you tell me to carry them at my bosom, like a foster father carrying an infant, to the land you have promised under oath to their fathers? Where can I get meat to give to all this people? For they are crying to me, ‘Give us meat for our food.’ I cannot carry all this people by myself, for they are too heavy for me. If this is the way you will deal with me, then please do me the favor of killing me at once, so that I need no longer face this distress.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 81:12-13, 14-15, 16-17 Sing with joy to God our help. “My people heard not my voice, and Israel obeyed me not; So I gave them up to the hardness of their hearts; they walked according to their own counsels.” “If only my people would hear me, and Israel walk in my ways, Quickly would I humble their enemies; against their foes I would turn my hand.” “Those who hated the LORD would seek to flatter me, but their fate would endure forever, While Israel I would feed with the best of wheat, and with honey from the rock I would fill them.” Gospel: Matthew 14:13-21 When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick. When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said, “This is a deserted place and it is already late; dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villages and buy food for themselves.” He said to them, “There is no need for them to go away; give them some food yourselves.” But they said to him, “Five loaves and two fish are all we have here.” Then he said, “Bring them here to me,”and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he said the blessing, broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds. They all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up the fragments left over–twelve wicker baskets full. Those who ate were about five thousand men, not counting women and children. ESV Sometimes the world feels like one huge, unmet need. There are entire countries without enough food to eat. There are people without homes who live on the street. There are people who die because they don’t have medical care. There are communities without access to fresh water. Here at home, I’m surrounded by need, too. My oldest needs a refill of juice. My youngest needs a diaper change. My mom needs a call back, and my husband needs to know what time the dental appointments are next month. The plants need watering, and I need a nap. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the needs around us. When the immediate things in our daily lives consume all our energy, we have nothing left to devote to those global needs we know are out there. Sometimes, we don’t have time to deal with our own needs at all, which limits our ability to serve others well. (I don’t know about you, but I get seriously grumpy if I wait too long to eat . . . if someone asks for another refill of juice at that moment, woe to that child!) I think Jesus gets it. He knows what it’s like to have precious little time to deal with personal needs. When He hears the news of His cousin’s death, He goes off by Himself to grieve, and a crowd follows Him! He cannot get a moment’s peace. Yet when He sees them, He pities them. He feels for them. He meets their needs—He heals their sick, and then He provides a meal for them as they sit on the grass. They don’t even have to ask. He knows what they need, and He provides it for them, just because they are there in front of Him. Five thousand boxed lunches later, Matthew tells us that they all ate and were satisfied. Jesus knew what they needed even better than they did. Maybe this is grace—our needs being met before we even know them. If one grieving man can feed five thousand, maybe this tired mom can refill one more juice cup with a smile. Maybe you can finish one more assignment, sit through one more meeting, or survive one more rehearsal. After all, Jesus is taking care of us, too. He knows what lies ahead and He knows what we need to make it through. [bctt tweet="Maybe this is grace—our needs being met before we even know them."] God is always caring for each of us, even when we are too busy to notice. Bringing our awareness to the ways in which we are cared for can help us feel more generous in giving to others. Today, whenever you find yourself dealing with someone who needs something from you, take a moment to thank Jesus for taking care of your needs. photo by Corynne Olivia 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: Exodus 16:2-4, 12-15 The whole Israelite community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, “Would that we had died at the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt, as we sat by our fleshpots and ate our fill of bread! But you had to lead us into this desert to make the whole community die of famine!" Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will now rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather their daily portion; thus will I test them, to see whether they follow my instructions or not. “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them: In the evening twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread, so that you may know that I, the LORD, am your God.” In the evening quail came up and covered the camp. In the morning a dew lay all about the camp, and when the dew evaporated, there on the surface of the desert were fine flakes like hoarfrost on the ground. On seeing it, the Israelites asked one another, “What is this?” for they did not know what it was. But Moses told them “This is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.” Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54 The Lord gave them bread from heaven. What we have heard and know, and what our fathers have declared to us, We will declare to the generation to come the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength and the wonders that he wrought. He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven; he rained manna upon them for food and gave them heavenly bread. Man ate the bread of angels, food he sent them in abundance. And he brought them to his holy land, to the mountains his right hand had won. Second Reading: Ephesians 4:17, 20-24 Brothers and sisters: I declare and testify in the Lord that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; that is not how you learned Christ, assuming that you have heard of him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus, that you should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. Gospel: John 6:24-35 When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him,“What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them,“This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.” So they said to him,“What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you? What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”So Jesus said to them,“Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them,“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” ESV Are you the primary caregiver in some area of your life? I am. I run our home and do the majority of the child-rearing while my husband is at work. I feed, I fix, I hug, I diaper, I drive, I bathe, I play, I read and more. And what do they do? They grumble. It makes me want to grumble right back. Moses found himself in a similar situation. After delivering his people from Egypt, they didn’t petition him politely to provide food—they grumbled too. Yet Moses asked, and God provided. How easy would it have been for Moses to throw his hands up and forsake those people? After all, they weren’t being particularly grateful for his services. I know exactly how easy it would have been for him, because I do it all the time. I feel underappreciated and overworked: so I want to quit. But I’m not called to quit. I’m called to perfect my service through the grace of God so that I may fulfill my purpose on earth. It’s not for the accolades or the thanks; it’s to be the hands of Him, to smooth my rough edges, to serve those in need. So whether you run your home, head your office, or coach a team, let’s get past the grumbles. Let’s provide for our people with a happy heart even if it means faking a smile. Let’s recognize we cannot succeed on our own, and rely on God to provide us with the strength to do it. And most importantly, let us acknowledge that we must, “put away the old self of your former way of life . . . and be renewed in the spirit of your minds.” [bctt tweet="I'm not called to quit. I'm called to perfect my service through the grace of God."] Today, when those you serve grumble, remind them of how to be polite and courteous by responding with kindness and action. 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.

First Reading: Leviticus 25:1, 8-17 The LORD said to Moses on Mount Sinai, "And you shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall be to you forty-nine years. Then you shall send abroad the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall send abroad the trumpet throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his family. A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be to you; in it you shall neither sow, nor reap what grows of itself, nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat what it yields out of the field. "In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. And if you sell to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. According to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years for crops he shall sell to you. If the years are many you shall increase the price, and if the years are few you shall diminish the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 67:2-3, 5, 7-8 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, [Selah] that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving power among all nations. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for thou dost judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. [Selah] The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. God has blessed us; let all the ends of the earth fear him! Gospel: Matthew 14:1-12 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard about the fame of Jesus; and he said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist, he has been raised from the dead; that is why these powers are at work in him." For Herod had seized John and bound him and put him in prison, for the sake of Hero'di-as, his brother Philip's wife; because John said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her." And though he wanted to put him to death, he feared the people, because they held him to be a prophet. But when Herod's birthday came, the daughter of Hero'di-as danced before the company, and pleased Herod, so that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask. Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter." And the king was sorry; but because of his oaths and his guests he commanded it to be given; he sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it; and they went and told Jesus. ESV The reading of the beheading of Saint John the Baptist has never been one of my favorites. Let’s face it: it’s not the most uplifting passage. So this morning as I was trying to think of something positive, what kept coming to mind is John’s fearlessness and Herod’s cowardice. I have always been in awe of John’s persona. He didn’t shy away from preaching about God. His call to repentance was aimed at all people, even those who could do him harm. In the end, John gave his life for the love of God. Herod saw this. He feared and loathed John because he made him face his sins and exposed his cowardice. Although Herod wanted to put John to death, he feared John’s followers. Later when Herodias’ daughter asked for John’s head, Herod regretted his oath but he feared upsetting his guests who commanded that he follow through. So he had John beheaded. How are we living our lives? Are we like Herod, not wanting to face our sins and in fear of what people will think of us? Or are we like John, a fearless preacher of the Gospel, willing to die for God? To be honest, I’m somewhere in-between. I love God and our faith and try to live my life accordingly but I also struggle to face my sins and weaknesses. It’s not always easy for me to be bold in living the Gospel. More than likely, we will not be called to martyrdom as John was but God gives us plenty of opportunities die to self and not stand silent. For me, it could be the mere act of going out in public with my kids and enduring “the looks” and comments. Sometimes it’s explaining to a friend that I can’t just skip Sunday Mass to attend an all-day event. Or telling school acquaintances that I won’t join them to watch the latest hot guys stripper movie and why. Or it’s speaking up when in a situation of gossiping about husbands, coworkers, or the parish priest. It is much easier to just be quiet or to excuse ourselves discreetly. However, the Holy Spirit will often nudge us to open our mouth and correct the situation or share our beliefs as lovingly as we can. Your voice and actions may be the only glimpse of the Gospel a person receives this day. Don’t be afraid to be that voice in the wilderness. [bctt tweet="Don’t be afraid to be that voice in the wilderness."] Today, open your heart to the Holy Spirit. Invite him to move you when you need to speak and trust that he will put the words in your mouth. photo by Corynne Olivia Bobbi Rol is a wife, mom and blogger with a teen daughter, three rambunctious little boys, and two babies in heaven. She lives in California with her husband, Brian. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Leviticus 23:1, 4-11, 15-16, 27, 34-37 The LORD said to Moses, "These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, is the LORD's passover. And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread to the LORD; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. But you shall present an offering by fire to the LORD seven days; on the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work." And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, When you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest; and he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, that you may find acceptance; on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. "And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven full weeks shall they be, counting fifty days to the morrow after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a cereal offering of new grain to the LORD. "On the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present an offering by fire to the LORD. "Say to the people of Israel, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the feast of booths to the LORD. On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. Seven days you shall present offerings by fire to the LORD; on the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the LORD; it is a solemn assembly; you shall do no laborious work. "These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim as times of holy convocation, for presenting to the LORD offerings by fire, burnt offerings and cereal offerings, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its proper day. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 81:3-6, 10-11 Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. He made it a decree in Joseph, when he went out over the land of Egypt. I hear a voice I had not known: There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god. I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it. Gospel: Matthew 13:54-58 And coming to his own country he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief. ESV If you listen closely, perhaps you may hear certain friends’ and family members’ voices echoing through the naysayers’ words in today’s Gospel: "Who does she think she is, telling me about God? About the Church? About how to live a moral and upright life? We know her! We grew up with her! We used to party with her! We know all about the mistakes she has made! Who does she think she is??!" The truth is, outside the grace of God and beyond the power of the Holy Spirit, none of us has any business—let alone authority—to share the truth of the faith with anyone. But the good news is that Jesus Christ wants us to share His love far and wide. By nature of our baptism, each of us has been commissioned—set apart, sent forth—to do just that! And so we dare, at times, to say what’s on our hearts despite the doubts in our heads and the skeptics in our lives. We send that encouraging email. We post that update about a Feast Day on Facebook. We pin that prayer on Pinterest. We have conversations that take all the courage we can muster and hope that the wisdom of God somehow shines through—not because of who we are—but because of who He is. And sometimes our attempts to bring love, joy, and peace to our little corner of the world seem to just . . . fall . . . flat. Now, the Devil would convince you that your attempts don’t matter: Who do you think you are, anyway? But they do matter, friend. Your attempts to share the light of Christ matter because God is at work even when we cannot see it and despite our own sinful nature, both past and present. Jesus didn't let the critics keep Him down. He just shook the dust from His feet and continued to go about His Father's work, and so should we. We must remember that even if our friends and family members don’t appear to be hearing us—maybe because of who we once were or who they perceive us to be now—we are still, through the power of the Holy Spirit, planting seeds of truth, of peace, and of love all the time. Perhaps someone else will water that seed, and still someone else will finally see the seed come to fruition, but you are planting them, sister. You’re doing the needful work. [bctt tweet="Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we're planting seeds of truth + of love all the time."] Today, let’s pray for the courage to continually plant seeds in the lives of those around us regardless of their response, and for other laborers in the vineyard to help those seeds grow. May we have eyes to see the mighty works that God is doing right in front of us. photo by Corynne Olivia Heather Renshaw lives with her family in the Pacific NW. She's a writer and uplifter on a mission to drink good coffee and sow good seeds despite her sinful past and present. You can learn more abut her here.

First Reading: Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38 Thus did Moses; according to all that the LORD commanded him, so he did. And in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was erected. Moses erected the tabernacle; he laid its bases, and set up its frames, and put in its poles, and raised up its pillars; and he spread the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. And he took the testimony and put it into the ark, and put the poles on the ark, and set the mercy seat above on the ark; and he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the screen, and screened the ark of the testimony; as the LORD had commanded Moses. Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting, because the cloud abode upon it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. Throughout all their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the people of Israel would go onward; but if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not go onward till the day that it was taken up. For throughout all their journeys the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 84:3-6, 8, 11 My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, at thy altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, ever singing thy praise! [Selah] Blessed are the men whose strength is in thee, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. They go from strength to strength; the God of gods will be seen in Zion. For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness. Gospel: Matthew 13:47-53 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. "Have you understood all this?" They said to him, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old." And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there. ESV My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. Psalm 84:2 When my husband and I were newly married we took a trip to Europe. While we were in Paris we visited the Cathedral of Notre Dame where I had a particularly moving experience while praying the Rosary in one of the side chapels. Near me were a couple of brothers praying as well, and in the background a boy choir was rehearsing; beautiful stained glass windows loomed up in front of me and the smell of incense and candles filled the air. Everything in that space spoke to me of the presence of God. And it was so easy to pray. Sometimes I am a little envious of the monastic and cloistered life. Nuns and monks spend their entire lives in an atmosphere similar to the one I have just described and their sole objective is prayer. It would be so easy to be aware of God’s presence and to grow in holiness if my life were like that. Sometimes I’m even a little envious of the Israelites who, though they were in the desert, had such visible and tangible evidence of God’s presence dwelling with them. It would be so easy to have faith if every morning you got up, stepped out of your tent, and saw a giant cloud over your camp. I long to have those intense experiences of God’s presence. But I do not live in a convent. And I do not have a giant cloud over my house. How can I really know the presence of God in my everyday life? He is in beauty of creation, the fellowship I enjoy with family and friends, and He is in the smiling face of my son. He is in the words of Scripture that I read, and in the hymns of praise that I sing. But most of all, the real and true presence of Jesus is given to us in the Eucharist. Every time we go to Mass or visit the adoration chapel, He is there, Body Blood, Soul, and Divinity. And if I can just shut up and tune in, that presence will be made real in my life. [bctt tweet="Let's take a quiet moment to realize God's presence in our lives."] Whatever you are doing today, wherever life has placed you, take a quiet moment to realize God's presence in your life. 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: Exodus 34:29-35 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. And when Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them. And afterward all the people of Israel came near, and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face; but whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and told the people of Israel what he was commanded, the people of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses would put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 99:5-7, 9 Extol the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he! Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the LORD, and he answered them. He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies, and the statutes that he gave them. Extol the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy! Gospel: Luke 10:38-42 Now as they went on their way, he entered a village; and a woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving; and she went to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her." ESV This reading from the Gospel of Saint Luke used to get me all riled up. After all, Martha was the one greeting an endless stream of guests, Martha was the one feverishly preparing food and drink, Martha was the one washing dish after dish after dish . . . . Did her sister Mary even notice Martha's furrowed brow, her frenetic behavior, or her increasingly impatient attitude to the stresses of being hostess? Maybe she did notice—we can't be certain from the Gospel passage. But what we do know is that Mary just sat there. It just didn't seem fair. This Gospel needles me, I suppose, because I am a bit of a "Martha" myself. I scuttle about from job to job, never fully satisfied unless I have something with which to busy myself. And then I take exacting internal revenge on those who "aren't as busy as me," don't contribute "as much as I have," or aren't able to see "everything that I'm doing" and the "hopelessly little" that they are not. It stings to write this, but on most days it's a pretty apt assessment. In reading this passage I used to think, "Lord, is it wrong to do as I am doing?" "Is it wrong to be so occupied with my church, my family, and my community?" And then I was struck by these words: "Martha was distracted with much serving . . . ." You see, it wasn't the serving itself that was Martha's problem. It was that she was so wholly wrapped up in it, unable to see that the One whom she served was Love Himself. My goodness! He didn't want her food; He wanted her heart! And so it goes for me, and for you: It's not wrong to fill our lives with contributions of time to such-and-such non-profit or to our endless list of projects at home and at work. But when these actions are done without love—without our hearts set toward our Maker who even allows such activities to be in the first place—they lose all value. We sadly become Saint Paul's "noisy gong," a "clanging cymbal." Suffice it to say that I'm no longer bothered by this passage. I'm proud that I am a Martha and I know My Beloved loves me in every possible Martha-esque way. But I pray every day to have a bit more of Mary's heart. And by His grace, I know I will. [bctt tweet="When our actions are done without love, they lose all value."] Pick a time each morning to offer your day and all of its many acts of service for a person who needs your sacrificial love. And then simply say, "Lord, I offer this day and every act of service done in love for _______. Amen." photo by Corynne Olivia Karen Schultz is a Birth Doula who hails from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, where she is often found in or near one of them. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Exodus 33:7-11; 34:5-9, 28 Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And every one who sought the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp. Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people rose up, and every man stood at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he had gone into the tent. When Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the door of the tent, and the LORD would speak with Moses. And when all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent, all the people would rise up and worship, every man at his tent door. Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses turned again into the camp, his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tent. And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation." And Moses made haste to bow his head toward the earth, and worshiped. And he said, "If now I have found favor in thy sight, O Lord, let the Lord, I pray thee, go in the midst of us, although it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thy inheritance." And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 103:6-13 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger for ever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor requite us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear him. Gospel: Matthew 13:36-43 Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field." He answered, "He who sows the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world, and the good seed means the sons of the kingdom; the weeds are the sons of the evil one, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the close of the age, and the reapers are angels. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. The Son of man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all evildoers, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. ESV We have a great responsibility to share the Good News. We get so comfortable talking about the Good News with each other, we forget to tell it to the people who need to hear it . . . we forget; we make excuses; it is too awkward, too uncomfortable, too hard. He who has ears, let him hear the Good News. And let him hear it from our mouths. Until Jesus comes again, God no longer has His hands and feet on this Earth in the person of Jesus to bring the Good News to the people who need it. He has us. He has us to bring the News and so often we keep it to ourselves, to our communities, to our families. He who has ears, the teen at a conference, the one who came with a friend just to see what it was about, who has never even been introduced to the concept of God, let him hear from me say that God saves. She who has ears, the co-worker at work you know is struggling, tell her of the Good News, invite her to Mass, offer support in whatever way God calls. He who has ears, your brother who has fallen away from the faith, let him hear that you pray for him and his return. Those words can work wonders in a heart:"I am praying for you." She who has ears, the woman you engage in conversation with at the grocery store, at mom's group, at school . . . ask her if she knows about Jesus. Ask her if she goes to church somewhere. She may have never heard of Him. Perhaps she left. Too hypocritical, too boring, too this, too that. Let her ears hear about the excitement you find in your knowing of Jesus Christ. Share the Good News from your mouth to her ears with joy in your heart and light in your eyes. What other way is there to share something so radically beautiful than the Gospel of Jesus Christ? We are called to be uncomfortable in our sharing of Jesus. We are called to be so in love with Christ that we can't stop telling, giving, forgiving, and loving. I pray today that we may be radical . . that we choose to be the mouths who never stop proclaiming, who never think to stay in our safe comfort zones, who never stop sharing with everyone who has ears . . . that there is a good God who calls them redeemed, forgiven, set apart, and deeply, deeply loved. [bctt tweet="He who has ears, let him hear the Good News. And let him hear it from our mouths."] photo by Madi Myers-Cook Do you share the Good News with the people around you who need to hear it, or do you live in the comfort of talking about the Good News with the ones who have already heard it? 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: Exodus 32:15-24, 30-34 And Moses turned, and went down from the mountain with the two tables of the testimony in his hands, tables that were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp." But he said, "It is not the sound of shouting for victory, or the sound of the cry of defeat, but the sound of singing that I hear." And as soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses' anger burned hot, and he threw the tables out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and scattered it upon the water, and made the people of Israel drink it. And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you that you have brought a great sin upon them?" And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord burn hot; you know the people, that they are set on evil. For they said to me, `Make us gods, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.' And I said to them, `Let any who have gold take it off'; so they gave it to me, and I threw it into the fire, and there came out this calf." On the morrow Moses said to the people, "You have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin." So Moses returned to the LORD and said, "Alas, this people have sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold. But now, if thou wilt forgive their sin -- and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written." But the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book. But now go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you; behold, my angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them." Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 106:19-23 They made a calf in Horeb and worshiped a molten image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, and terrible things by the Red Sea. Therefore he said he would destroy them -- had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them. Gospel: Matthew 13:31-35 Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." All this Jesus said to the crowds in parables; indeed he said nothing to them without a parable. This was to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world." ESV Waiting is hard. It is hard to have a dream or a goal driving you, inspiring you and promised to you and then be told . . . wait. I feel like I've spent a good portion of my life waiting. Waiting to go to that school, waiting to get married, waiting to take that trip, waiting for that raise or promotion, waiting for the next set of lines on that pregnancy test, and waiting is hard. I almost feel a twinge of sympathy for the Jews following Moses in today's reading. They were given big promises; they were promised the Holy Land, deliverance, and then told to wait. They had to wait for Moses to show up, wait for Moses to free them from Pharaoh, wait for Moses on his trip up the mountain. It must have been hard, and so frustrating. Here is this good thing, but you can't have it yet. How much easier it to say "I'm done waiting. Forget this, I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to get some instant gratification." That is what they did. Tired of waiting they turned to instant gratification and in that moment they literally created a false idol. I don't know about you, but I haven't turned around and melted my jewelry down to make a statue. But I've probably created more than a few false idols in my impatience. Idols of laziness when it feels like my efforts go unrecognized. Idols of envy of other people's things. Idols of snarky remarks and hasty words. Idols of shopping cleverly disguised as "therapeutic" means to get over a problem. All of this happens when we turn our eyes away from the work that is done through waiting; the discipline that is accomplished in the meantime. “Waiting is essential to the spiritual life. But waiting as a disciple of Jesus is not an empty waiting. It is a waiting with a promise in our hearts that makes already present what we are waiting for. We wait during Advent for the birth of Jesus. We wait after Easter for the coming of the Spirit, and after the ascension of Jesus we wait for his coming again in glory. We are always waiting, but it is a waiting in the conviction that we have already seen God’s footsteps. Waiting for God is an active, alert—yes, joyful—waiting. As we wait we remember him for whom we are waiting, and as we remember him we create a community ready to welcome him when he comes.”—Henri Nouwen [bctt tweet="Waiting is essential to the spiritual life. -- Henri Nouwen"] Today let's examine what we are waiting for. Let's take a close look at why were are waiting and what we are called to do, how we can wait with conviction. Let us realize that some of the fruits of our labors come in the meantime and learn to recognize the idols we make for ourselves that distract us from God while He is helping instill passion, perseverance, and hope in our souls. photo by Corynne Olivia Photography 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: 2 Kings 4:42-44 A man came from Ba'al-shal'ishah, bringing the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley, and fresh ears of grain in his sack. And Eli'sha said, "Give to the men, that they may eat." But his servant said, "How am I to set this before a hundred men?" So he repeated, "Give them to the men, that they may eat, for thus says the LORD, `They shall eat and have some left.'" So he set it before them. And they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the LORD. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145:10-11, 15-18 All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD, and all thy saints shall bless thee! They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power, The eyes of all look to thee, and thou givest them their food in due season. Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. 18The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. Second Reading: Ephesians 4:1-6 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all. Gospel: John 6:1-15 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber'i-as. And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself. ESV I don't consider myself a planner, being that I'm disorganized as the day is long. But with all of my disorganization, I've come to understand that I still love me some control. I need a say. I want it done my way. When I'm not in charge, I want answers to all my questions before I commit. I want to plan my non-planner way through all the what-ifs and risks and impossibilities until I'm satisfied that there will be a good outcome (or I'll have Plans B, C, and D through Z to back me up). So I feel the pain of the men in the First Reading as well as the disciples in the Gospel. "How am I to set this before a hundred men?" asks Elisha's servant, eyeing the twenty loaves of barley incredulously. Two thousand years later, with the stakes raised even higher, Andrew eyes the five thousand and says to Jesus, "What are five barley loaves and two fish among so many?" Philip adds with dismay, "[N]ot even two hundred denarii [an amount that would equate to 8 months of wages or around $4,000 today] would be enough to give them each a little!" How can this work? What can they do? The answer is that the wise Elisha doesn't answer his servant's frantic questioning; he just repeats his instructions of what to do. Jesus tests His disciples by allowing them to question the impossible, but doesn't let them entertain it for more than a moment; He just sets to work. Both teachers answer by showing their disciples the need to let go of control control and contingencies. With simple actions they teach: stop hesitating and start doing. In the trusting and the doing. That's where God shows up with a better contingency than our humans minds and means could ever drum up. Even in today's readings, we see the incredible plot master and Ultimate Planner our God is: Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5,000 is pre-figured by the story of Elisha feeding the 100--nearly 1,000 years before. It's striking to see the parallel today, but God had it planned that way all along. And as our pastor reminded us not too long ago, the only person in the world who can know and do and control everything is our God. Try as we might to muck up His plans by attempting to control and develop our contingencies, God's the only one who can manage it all. So let's stop trying so hard to play God and start trying to better learn our role as the servant and disciples did. More trusting. More doing. That's the power of serving a God who's already got it under control. [bctt tweet="More trusting. More doing. That's the power of serving a God who's already got it under control. "] Let's surrender ourselves today to Paul's words of truth: "There is . . . one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all." photo by Madi Myers-Cook 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: 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. Since we have the same spirit of faith as he had who wrote, "I believed, and so I spoke," we too believe, and so we speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 126:1-6 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of 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. Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb! May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy! He that goes forth weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Gospel: Matthew 20:20-28 Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." ESV 'They were indignant . . . ." When is the last time you felt indignant? Grumbled about someone else? Groaned about the expectations placed on you? Sometimes I find myself groaning in the mornings, just because I'm called awake before I'd like to welcome the day. Or possibly I'm grumbling about "so-and-so" and "How could this be?" The mother of the sons of Zeb'edee dared to ask Jesus for her sons to have a special place in heaven. I don't know about you, but part of me feels like "How COULD she?!" and another part of me feels like"Wow, I wish I had that courage, to approach Jesus and request something for my children." Jesus answered her request with a "No," and not only "No," but asked the brothers (and I presume all the apostles, who were gathered together), if they thought they could drink the cup, or in other words, "Can you handle what is to come?" "Oh, sure we can, Lord!" "You will. But the place in heaven is set by my Father. Still . . . you must follow me. Be a servant." And now the others grumbled and are indignant. Why? Are they mad now that Jesus made clear what they must do? Or mad that someone's mother made an outlandish request? How often do we do that? How often do we groan about someone's question, or idea, or dare I say admit, groan and grumble about what Christ has to say to us? Yet we are to share in the cup—the suffering—of Christ. Serve. Follow Him to gain entrance to Heaven. The path looks different for all of us, though we are called in love for love. [bctt tweet="The path looks different for all of us, though we are called in love for love."] Blessed Teresa of Calcutta was called to serve the poorest of the poor, while Blessed Chiara gave her life in love as a witness to the joy we have in Christ, even being joyful through terrible illness and suffering. Saint Gianna gave her loving witness through marriage, family life, and professional life, never giving up on the unborn, even until her own death to save her unborn child. Still others, our peers, are following Christ by entering religious life, by living and working in the world but inviting friends to a Bible study or Mass, by standing up for life on their college campuses. Imagine all the amazing ways our sisters in Christ are living servant lives, following Christ! Are you comparing your life to another, and grumbling about what you wish you had, or wish you could do in your heart, or like the apostles, judging and grumbling about what you don't understand? How are you being called to lay down your life, and follow the incredible plan Jesus has for you? photo by Corynne Olivia Photography Gina Fensterer is a wife, daughter, mother, friend, homeschooling mama and Colorado native. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Exodus 20:1-17 And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates;for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and hallowed it. "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you. "You shall not kill. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's." Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 19:8-11 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb. Gospel: Matthew 13:18-23 "Hear then the parable of the sower. When any one hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in his heart; this is what was sown along the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the delight in riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. As for what was sown on good soil, this is he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit, and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty." ESV When we read the parable of the sower and the seed, we all want to be the seed that takes good root, thrives, and bears fruit, right? But how on earth (no pun intended ;)) do we do that in the midst of rocky ground, unpredictable wind, destructive rains, and uncomfortable thorns? How do we become well-rooted in a stormy world? "The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the ordinances of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether." The law of the Lord is how we stay well-rooted, friends. His law, His testimony, His commandments, His ordinances. They bring revival, wisdom, goodness, joy, purity, enlightenment, and righteousness. The commandments of the Lord are not restrictive, boring, or unjust; rather, they are our keys to true freedom and joy in our lives. The commandments are our blueprint for happiness. When we are rooted in truth, we are immovable. When we know who we are in Him, no element can shake us. When we follow His ways, we find true fulfillment and bear much beautiful, beautiful, fruit. [bctt tweet="When we are rooted in truth, we are immovable. "] Examining your life today, where are you seeking rooting? Is it in God or in something fickle and passing? photo by Corynne Olivia Photography 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: Exodus 19:1-2, 9-11, 16-20 On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. And when they set out from Reph'idim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there Israel encamped before the mountain. And the LORD said to Moses, "Lo, I am coming to you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you for ever." Then Moses told the words of the people to the LORD. And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments, and be ready by the third day; for on the third day the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. And Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:52-56 Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever; And blessed is your holy and glorious name, praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages. Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and glorious above all forever. Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are you who look into the depths from your throne upon the cherubim, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever. Gospel: Matthew 13:10-17 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" And he answered them, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to him who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: `You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ESV How often do you find yourself stuck in the monotony of day-in and day-out life? You know, just the same ol’ same ol’. I know I often find myself in a never ending cycle of laundry and wiping up bite-sized pieces of grapes from the floor. The drudgery becomes a vicious vacuum that envelops my whole being. For you, it might be a work, home, repeat cycle. Maybe it’s classes and exams that surround your every thought. Or maybe you’re just overwhelmed with how much life at its core is demanding from you today. It may seem that the nothingness is out of control; perhaps you can’t even figure out where God fits into the picture. The Israelites could probably relate. Here they are after wandering around for three months, and finally God is coming to them. There in their literal desert, God comes to them, reassuring them of His presence. God comes to them right there in the middle of their doldrum life. A thick cloud of smoke and fire upon the mountain. Sometimes I think it’s so easy to get caught up in just making it to the next meal, the next appointment, the next exam, that we get lost in that nothingness. And yet our God comes to us. In His word, He comes to us and speaks truth straight to our hearts. In our friends and family, He speaks love in action. And in His sacraments, He is physically there waiting to meet with us. As Catholics we are oh-so-privileged to have the Eucharist, where God Himself has humbled Himself to become a tiny wafer of bread just to meet with us. With me. With you. Our God awaits us whether we spends a little time adoring the Blessed Sacrament, reading the Bible, or even rearrange our schedule to attend an extra Mass. And He is delighted when we come to Him. Don’t forget how much you are loved and how much God wants to meet with you. That He is waiting just to meet with you, to extend a lifeline in the monotony of the everyday. [bctt tweet="Don’t forget how much you are loved + how much God wants to meet with you."] Think about how much God wants to meet with you and try to make time this week to meet with Him. Sarah Ortiz is a Catholic convert, and when not folding laundry, she can be found reading, experimenting in the kitchen, or writing at her blog. You can find out more about her here.

First Reading: Exodus 16:1-5, 9-15 They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. And the whole congregation of the people of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and said to them, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger." Then the LORD said to Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day's portion every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily." And Moses said to Aaron, "Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, `Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your murmurings.'" And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And the LORD said to Moses, "I have heard the murmurings of the people of Israel; say to them, `At twilight you shall eat flesh, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'" In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning dew lay round about the camp. And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as hoarfrost on the ground. When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, "It is the bread which the LORD has given you to eat. Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 78:18-19, 23-28 They tested God in their heart by demanding the food they craved. They spoke against God, saying, "Can God spread a table in the wilderness? Yet he commanded the skies above, and opened the doors of heaven; and he rained down upon them manna to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven. Man ate of the bread of the angels; he sent them food in abundance. He caused the east wind to blow in the heavens, and by his power he led out the south wind; he rained flesh upon them like dust, winged birds like the sand of the seas; he let them fall in the midst of their camp, all around their habitations. Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18 Now on the first day of the week Mary Mag'dalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her. ESV At first glance the whiny Israelites and Saint Mary Magdalene (whose feast is today) seem unrelated, but there is something that they have in common. God has freed them both from slavery: the Israelites from Egypt and Saint Mary Magdalene from her sinful life. The difference between the two is that the Israelites continued to look back and long for their old lives. They whined for their “fleshpots” in Egypt. They worried that the God who freed them from their oppression would abandon them in their need in the desert. They really had no right to whine, as they broke their covenant with God again and again. But Saint Mary Magdalene, if she ever looked back, she never wanted her old life. She looked at Jesus with complete faith and love. She sat at His feet, hanging onto His every word. She looked for Him in His tomb, and mourned to find Him missing. And when He appeared to her, she rejoiced. Her love for Jesus never ceased. Tradition tells us that she lived after the Ascension of Christ in a cave doing penance for her many sins. She never stopped loving, and she never longed for the life she had before. I look at myself, and how often I have betrayed the love of Christ through sin, and how easily I forget the love He has for me and how it feels to be forgiven and freed from the slavery of sin. The temptations of the world, of habitual sins, and of taking the easy way out are very strong. How often I am like the Israelites, looking at worldly life, wishing for comfortable vices. But there is a lot of false freedom in following the trends of society. Succumbing to the ways of the world would be like the Israelites going back to Egypt. Even though I am not always as thankful and full of love as Saint Mary Magdalene, God still gives me so much. He gave the ungrateful Israelites in the desert manna, the bread of the angels, to eat, but how much more does He give me in forgiveness in the Sacrament of Confession and His Body to nourish my soul with the Eucharist? I am so grateful for the Sacraments and the daily nourishment available to me to help me live a life of love and grace. [bctt tweet="I'm grateful for the Sacraments available to me to help me live a life of love + grace."] Do you need to appreciate the Sacraments more? Take time to go to confession in the next week and go to a daily Mass that you do not normally go to, asking God to help you love Him more. Saint Mary Magdalene, pray for us! photo by Madi Myers Cook Susanna Spencer once studied theology and philosophy, but now happily cares for her three adorable little girls, new baby, and her dear husband. You can find out more about her here.