Saturday, September 20, 2025 Letter from the Editor // Dear Sister, On this Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jesus gives us a firm reminder that to follow Him, we must follow Him all the way, with our whole selves. He tells us, “No servant can serve two masters”  (Luke 16:13), and we have to consider this within our hearts. Do we serve God and God alone, or are we divided and focused on the things of this world? Are we like the wealthy whom the prophet Amos criticizes in the First Reading, ready to work on the sabbath and scheming to increase our wealth and status? Do we fully rest from our work as we ought on Sunday? Do we let go of our worldly concerns and make an offering of our income to the Lord to our parish and charitable organizations? Do we give of our time and talent to our community and those in need?  When we are generous with what the Lord has given us, our hearts are more receptive to knowing and accepting the truth of the Gospel. Saint Paul writes in the First Reading, God “wills everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). He calls us to this because He knows we need Him more than we need anything else. This Sunday, we can turn to the Lord, and with humility, ask Him to show where we need to give more of ourselves to Him. We can offer Him the little we have to Him. He wants us to be lowly before Him, so that He can raise us up from the dust of sin and seat us beside Him where we belong as daughters of God (see Psalm 113:7-8). In Christ’s Love, Susanna Read the Readings for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time:  First Reading // Amos 8:4-7 Psalm // Psalm 113:1-2, 4-6, 7-8 Second Reading // 1 Timothy 2:1-8 Gospel // Luke 16:1-13 Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Saturday, September 20 (today!) // Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, Paul Chŏng Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs Sunday, September 21 // Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time Tuesday, September 23 // Memorial of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest Friday, September 26 // Optional Memorial of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs  

September 19, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Januarius, Bishop and Martyr Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 1 Timothy 6:2c-12 Reflect on the Word //  I can’t wait to graduate. I can’t wait to get a better job. I can’t wait to get married. I can’t wait to get pregnant. I can’t wait for the baby to be born. I can’t wait until she starts sleeping through the night. I can’t wait . . . One summer, we took our little daughters on a road trip around Lake Michigan. Starting in Chicago, we drove up to visit family in northern Wisconsin and then spent a few days hiking in the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. While standing in the woods together beholding the majestic roar and crash of Tahquamenon Falls, I turned to my husband and said, “I wish we could do more things like this in the summer. We always go to Traverse City. Why don’t we go anywhere else?” He looked at me quizzically and said, “We are! Right now, we are doing it.”  I stopped short, chastened. Finally, I realized my mistake. I was letting my life slip by me, constantly living in my desire for the future, for more, for something other than the present. Each time I achieved the thing I thought I couldn’t wait for, the goal line jumped ahead and I started pressing toward something different. In today’s First Reading, Saint Paul tells us that we grow in holiness when we are content, saying “we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it” (1 Timothy 6:6). Another way of thinking about this: We have nothing but the present moment. We do not possess the past, and we cannot predict when our lives will be over. Our entire lives are lived inside of what we experience today. It has taken me a long time to curb my tendency to rush toward what’s ahead. I still fall into the temptation to focus too much on the future. But all my progress has been in the cultivation of gratitude. All the virtues Saint Paul mentions in verse 11—”righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness”—are aided by gratitude. And they can all only be practiced right now, today.  Relate to the Lord // Make a list of what you’re grateful for today. Thank the Lord!

September 18, 2025 // Thursday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 7:36-50 Reflect on the Word //  I’m always amazed when I’m reminded that Jesus receives us as we are and accepts all that we are willing to offer Him as it is—the good, the bad, even the darkness of our shame. There is nothing too little or too much for us to hand over to His Heart. I think of this truth in light of today’s Gospel. Jesus does not seek the woman who comes to Him, but He receives her. He’s in the middle of a meal and, as she weeps at His feet, He doesn’t push her away. He turns His attention to her. I imagine He looks intently at her, past the outward demonstration of her love. He sees her in a way that likely she’s never been seen before, a way she may not even be aware of as she pours out her love through her tears, her hair as a towel, and costly ointment. Jesus doesn’t stop her. He doesn’t stop her because of the “show” that others all too willingly comment on. He doesn’t stop her saying that her outpouring of love, repentance, homage, and her sacrifice of costly gifts is too much. He simply sees her and receives her. He receives all that she gives. How often do we calculate what we are willing to offer the Lord? We want it to be in the best, most perfect way. We try to package our offering in a way we think He will receive it most readily. We scour the recesses of our hearts and pick out the best things to bring to Him, leaving the things and places we are afraid or ashamed of. The reality is, He wants our hearts. He wants every bit, every corner of shame, every nook, cranny, and dark place where we hide our sin—and He wants those more than our merits, prayers, and sacrifices. He wants us to follow the example of this woman who loves, and pour out our hearts to the Lord through our prayer, our charity, our repentance. Give all to Him, hold nothing back. He will receive it, and will never push you away.  Relate to the Lord // What will you offer to Jesus today? Ask Him what He wants from you.

September 17, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church // Optional Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm 111:1-6 Reflect on the Word // I grew up about 90 minutes from one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. I remember visiting it once when I was a little girl. The Grand Canyon—averaging ten miles wide in most places and a mile deep—is more than just a giant hole in the ground. I sat near the edge, or as close as my parents would allow, legs crossed in the dirt. Looking out across the vast expanse, I couldn’t help but recognize both my smallness and a deep peace. My God created all of this. It was truly exquisite to behold. Now, my own family lives four to five hours from “The Big Hole in the Ground,” and I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve never taken them to see it. Ten hours round-trip feels like a long time to drive just to snap a photo. But as a daughter of God, visiting the Grand Canyon is less about capturing a picture and more about witnessing one of His great works in creation. The psalmist reminds us of this today:  “How great are the works of the Lord! I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart in the company and assembly of the just. Great are the works of the LORD, exquisite in all their delights.” (Psalm 111:1-2) When we finally pause to take in the beauty around us, it becomes impossible to deny the greatness of the Lord’s handiwork. Not just in the iconic and majestic places, but in all of nature. We don’t have to travel across the country or the world to witness His exquisite works. Each sunrise and sunset, every flower blossom and mountain vista, every smile from a stranger, hug from a loved one, or song from a bird reflects the greatness of His creation. You and I are part of that exquisite work—created intentionally and beautifully for a purpose in this world. What we say and do, how we act and relate to one another, can be a reflection of His goodness. And we reflect His goodness best when we thank Him with all our hearts. Relate to the Lord // Notice the goodness of the Lord in the beauty of creation today.  

September 16, 2025 // Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 7:11-17 Reflect on the Word //  I tend to really struggle when it comes to my daily prayer. Try as I might, it seems that when the impulse comes to mind or when my planned time for prayer arrives, I find something else to pull me away. So many times when the Lord calls, I feel but don’t act. How many times has Jesus given me my own little opportunity to push forward into an active, moving love? Even in my prayer—which is for our Lord as much as it is for me. Today’s Gospel is such a tender reminder of the perfect humanity of Jesus Christ. For God Himself to become Man is the completion of a divine plan so perfectly good and wise. Jesus feels. Jesus feels pity.  The interaction between our Lord and the grieving woman is so instinctive. It feels completely spontaneous, which seems counterintuitive when we consider that Jesus already knew this encounter would take place. He knew this moment was coming, He saw it coming, He even ordained it to come—and yet He responds to her as though He sees her now for the first time. The same way we might scoop up a weeping child, our hearts stirred immediately at the sight of their sorrow, but not a moment before. God knows our sorrow before we know it, yet His heart is still moved at the sight of us. And not just moved in stagnant emotion, Jesus Christ is moved to action. The Lord sees us in our need, and because of it He moves.  The Lord wants His perfected love to be in us as well—for us to be tender and open enough to respond in a spontaneous moment charged by the heart, but to then go further, into real activation, in whatever way He is calling us. How, Lord, are You calling us? Children, spouses, friends, strangers, even. It’s all around us once we start seeing with the eyes of love. We need the Lord to help us, to go deeper into His very own Heart—a place where love is limitless, and He asks us to be limitless too. Relate to the Lord // When will you make time for an encounter with Jesus in quiet prayer today?  

September 15, 2025 // Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 19:25-27 Reflect on the Word //  My heart ached when I saw the tears in my son’s eyes. He had already been going through a rough year, and now he had to deal with teenage drama. Someone whom he thought was his friend had hurt him and he was feeling the pain of the betrayal. As his mom, I had two main emotions: heartbreak at seeing my son in pain and anger at the person who caused the pain. When my heart breaks for my children or I am having a hard time forgiving, I think of today’s Gospel reading about our Lady standing at the Foot of the Cross (see John 19:25). I can only imagine the grief that Mother Mary must have felt during Jesus’ Passion. On the road to Calvary, did Mary recall how Jesus used to toddle around as a baby, but now He was falling under the weight of the Cross? Was Mary thinking of His sweet smile that was now hidden on His bruised and bloody face? Did she close her eyes and cry out to God when His hands, which once held hers, were torn open by nails? Yet, despite her anguish, Mary did not leave Jesus’ side. She bore the pain with Him. When Jesus spoke to Mary in regards to John, saying, “Behold, your son” (John 19:27), she willingly accepted her role as Mother, not only to John, but to all of us. She didn’t become angry or hold a grudge towards the people who sent her Son to the Cross. Instead she forgave and loved, just as Jesus taught her.  How fortunate we are to have such a loving intercessor! When we are struggling with sorrow, missing the love of a mom, or grappling with forgiveness, we have a heavenly Mother who is eager to intercede, comfort us, and help redirect us back to her Son.   Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Relate to the Lord // Share your sorrows with Our Lady of Sorrows today and ask for her loving intercession.  

Saturday, September 13, 2025 Letter from the Editor // Dear Sister, On this Sunday, we celebrate the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross marking the finding of the Holy Cross, the very one on which Jesus was crucified, by Saint Helena in the fourth century in Jerusalem. In the Gospel, Jesus explains how the bronze snake from the First Reading from Numbers prefigures His Death on the Cross: “And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up” on the Cross, “so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:13, 14). Like the Israelites, freed from slavery in Egypt, we often complain about how hard it is to live in freedom from sin. Our daily struggles with sin are like the snakes that bite the Israelites and make our souls sick. When we look upon Christ on His Cross, our own little crosses become a means of our healing.  How fickle we often are, unfaithful to God’s covenant with us. But the Lord, “being merciful,” forgives our sin and destroys us not (Psalm 78:38). He gave all for us, for “Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped” (Philippians 2:6). No, instead He showed us how to embrace our littleness, to acknowledge that we need the Father’s outpouring of love at every moment of our day. And when we truly know our need for a Savior, deep in our hearts, and humble ourselves to embrace all our sufferings, then we will be exalted with Him, Whose name is exalted above all names. Let us bend our knee before the Cross, and thank the Lord for His great mercy. In Christ’s Love, Susanna Read the Readings for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross:  First Reading // Numbers 21:4b-9 Psalm // Psalm 78:1bc-2, 34-35, 36-37, 38 Second Reading // Philippians 2:6-11 Gospel // John 3:13-17 Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Saturday, September 13 (today!) // Memorial of Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Sunday, September 14 // Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Monday, September 15 // Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Tuesday, September 16 // Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs Wednesday, September 17 // Optional Memorial of Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church // Optional Memorial of Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church Friday, September 19 // Optional Memorial of Saint Januarius, Bishop and Martyr  

September 12, 2025 // Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: 1 Timothy 1:1-2, 12-14 Reflect on the Word //  My emotions came and went during those first days of missionary training like the clouds that would spontaneously sweep over the summer sky. The sudden storms would pound the pavement briefly, only to give way just as quickly to brilliant rainbows. And with similar intensity, my heart fluttered between future dreams, present joys, and the temptation to fear that in my new role, I would have nothing to offer.  Despite the Lord’s persistent beckoning, I still wondered: Why me? When Saint Paul writes about his own calling in today’s First Reading, his words are not of doubt but of gratitude: “I am grateful to him who has strengthened me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he considered me trustworthy in appointing me to the ministry” (1 Timothy 1:12). Paul does not shy away from his own humanity; rather, he continues, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and an arrogant man” (1 Timothy 1:13). But rather than seeing his weakness as an obstacle to his vocation, Paul uses it as an opportunity to praise God for His generosity. When I think of all of the relationships and responsibilities with which the Lord has entrusted me throughout my life, I am in awe that He has “considered me trustworthy” over and over again. How kind is our God that even after I have been unfaithful, even after I have made mistakes, He continues to give me new opportunities to glorify Him. Our Lord wants us to have a part in His work of creation and His plan of redemption—so much that He is willing to trust us. He knows full well our every imperfection, as He knew Paul’s, and still He invites us each to embrace the work, or community, or cross, or person He puts before us—however inadequate we may feel. Happily for us, we can count on the Lord to strengthen us for our callings as only He can, just as He did for Saint Paul. Relate to the Lord // Prayerfully reflect on how your weakness is not an obstacle, but instead praise God for “new opportunities to glorify Him.”  

September 11, 2025 // Thursday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 6:27-38 Reflect on the Word //  I’d been really anticipating the holiday, but my excitement was dashed a few days prior when a miscommunication and someone else’s desires led to changed plans. I was annoyed that I cared so much, and felt selfish for “overreacting.” I told myself it wasn’t a big deal, but couldn’t shake the disappointment. Still, the hurt lingered, so I mentioned it to my spiritual director. I was shocked when she suggested I was having difficulty forgiving. Forgiveness hadn’t even been on my radar because this person hadn’t intended to hurt me. I imagined my disappointment was my fault. Yet relationships are a two-way street, and I had to acknowledge the impact of another’s actions in order to be freed by forgiveness. Thanks to my spiritual director’s wisdom, I finally admitted the pain this person’s actions had caused me. Once I’d fully acknowledged it, I was able to extend forgiveness and mercy that brought lasting inner peace.  As we sit with our Lord’s challenging words in today’s Gospel, we’re confronted with very real wounds of rejection, indignity, and injustice. It may seem the Lord is telling us to ignore healthy boundaries or turn a blind eye to the evils that assail us.  On the contrary, Jesus is inviting us to adopt a posture of true humility with intentionality, a posture that recognizes the inherent dignity in ourselves and others, instead of reducing another’s identity to their words or actions. It is never our place as humans to judge another person’s soul, nor assume the intent behind their actions, which is complex and layered in our wounded humanity. However, neither should we misunderstand the command to “stop judging” (Luke 6:37) as a directive to ignore evil and its effects on us. We must prudently identify evil when it occurs—and acknowledge the full extent of the damage it causes—if we hope to fully heal from the effects of evil and truly forgive others. Intentionally or not, imperfect people will continue to hurt us. Our Lord shows us a path forward—one that acknowledges their fallen humanity and ours—while always upholding both their eternal dignity and our own.  Relate to the Lord // Whom do you need to forgive? Talk to the Lord about it and ask for the grace to forgive.

September 10, 2025 // Wednesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Colossians 3:1-3 Reflect on the Word //  While I have been a Christian my entire life, I have at many times questioned God as to why it is so difficult to keep choosing His way. Why does it feel that every area of modern life has complicating factors that push and demean the Commandants of God? Why do such simple-seeming things, like what is being taught in my sixth grade child’s science class and where and how I invest my money, require moral judgment and action from a Christian perspective?  It can be exhausting to live under these “earthly” pressures and tempting to ignore that the entirety of my life is changed because I have, in fact, died with Christ through my Baptism. But the reality is that faith is not a burden, and the call to seek what is above is the crux of the challenge of Christianity. The Christian faith does not call us to ignore or wish away or deny our own inherent failures and sin, but calls us to the clear-eyed recognition that our own choices can lead us away from life with Christ or lead us to live more fully within it. When I think about Saint Paul writing these words to the Colossians, I wonder if they received his words the way I do, as a bold challenge that allows no wiggle room for excuses within my own conscience. Not only was it a personal challenge to the Colossians, it was calling them to a completely new way of life, a life lived contrary to that of the society around them. Living in societies that embrace what Saint Paul calls the “earthly” has always been part of the Christian life and was especially drastic in his ancient pagan culture. This same universal call to holiness has never changed.  Saint Paul understands that the life of holiness may at times feel hidden, but Christ’s presence with us is constant. We can rely on the grace Jesus gives us through the Sacraments to sustain us as we try to offer our lives to Him every single day. Relate to the Lord // How will you “seek what is above” today?

September 9, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Colossians 2:6-15 Reflect on the Word // It was late, but I needed to pray more than eat or rest. I had poured out all my energy, creativity, and patience for a marathon project in ministry.  I had been caught up in the busyness of my work, and I knew that I only needed time with Jesus. I knew I made the right decision to stop in for a visit to Jesus in the Eucharist the moment I opened the chapel door.  I knelt in that soothing silence, asking Him to hold me up. His patience and goodness were so familiar, like the warm glow surrounding His Most Sacred and Real Presence. I thanked Him and rested. After a while, words like Saint Paul’s from today’s First Reading echoed and resounded in my soul. In His steadying presence, He helped me to see how I had been allowing myself to get caught up in thoughts that are the “empty, seductive philosophy according to the tradition of men” (Colossians 2:8). He lovingly convicted me of a lack of trust in Him Who has never failed me. It is true. I realized the source of my exhaustion was that, rather than taking a moment to become surrendered to Jesus and our Lady at the outset of the project and ask for their preference and measures, I immediately started working and became preoccupied, and this disturbed my peace. Now I had a choice. I could allow Him to evangelize, heal, and conquer my heart, or continue my controlling and white-knuckling.  My eyes drifted, gratefully, up to Him on the crucifix. There it is. My soul opened up and felt effortlessly grounded. He helped me to again be “rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith” (Colossians 2:7).  Sister, He simply wants our surrender and our holy indifference again and again. For us to pray, Jesus, I choose You! And to say it every day: Jesus, I choose You! He has conquered every principality and power, as Saint Paul mentions twice in today's Reading. But will we allow Him to conquer these in our own hearts and lives? Relate to the Lord // Stop by a Catholic Church or Blessed Sacrament chapel today and let Him console and ground you.

September 8, 2025 // Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 1:1-16, 18-23 Reflect on the Word // I couldn’t remember why we stopped speaking. We are family. We were close. And then, our laughter-filled conversations, phone calls celebrating and lamenting the activities of our children, all the connection between us began to splinter and crumble away. This happens all too often within families. A misspoken word, a misunderstanding, a mistake fractured hearts and broke bonds.  This is the nature of anger sometimes. It simmers. It hides below the surface until resentment explodes out of it with a force that wounds us. I struggled with unforgiveness, and in a moment of begging the Lord to soften my heart toward this family member, I was reminded that our God became Man and is  “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). From this long line of suffering sinners came the Savior born of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose birth we celebrate today. Her full trust in God and His grace made way for our Redeemer. Redemption moved them forward. Love moved them forward. Forgiveness moved them forward.  Jesus was asking me to remember His promises and trust His word. Jesus was asking me to remember that we are called to a radical love. He is asking this of each of us. Can we move forward? Can we see that Jesus is cleansing our wounds by the power of His Blood, washing away the debris and mending the division? He knows and He sees all, and forgiveness will set us free. On this side of Heaven, it will be imperfect. We may need boundaries. We may need time. But Jesus is with us in all of it. We are part of the greatest story of love and forgiveness, which began with the birth of His Mother. Lean forward. The Savior is coming.  Relate to the Lord // What do you need? Tell Jesus, and have hope.   

Saturday, September 6, 2025 Letter from the Editor // Dear Sister, As we prepare for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time, I am delighted to call you my sister in Christ, like Saint Paul called his friend Onesimus in tomorrow’s Second Reading. Paul gently encourages Philemon to see the runaway slave as a brother, a member of the Body of Christ. Like Onesimus, we who have been baptized have also been freed from slavery: slavery to sin, slavery to our possessions, slavery to living our own way. The Lord “will not do anything without your consent” (Philemon 9:14), but in the Gospel gently invites us to come after Him without any attachments to things that keep us from loving Him. In order to carry our cross with the Lord, we have to drop everything else but what we need for the journey.  We might find that as we grow closer to the Lord, we do not understand what He is asking us to do. Why does He want us to give up this thing that is good? Why is He calling us down this path that has no clear end in sight? Why are we suffering from this chronic illness or loss? “Who can know God’s counsel, or who can conceive what the LORD intends?” (Wisdom 9:13) We need to entrust all that we are and have to the Lord, asking Him for his gift of wisdom and to send His Holy Spirit “from on high” (Wisdom 9:17). We must go to the Lord as our refuge and pray to “gain wisdom of heart” (Psalm 90:12) to trust in His ways for us. And then our paths will be “made straight” whether we can clearly see the end or not (Wisdom 9:18). In Christ’s Love, Susanna   Read the Readings for the Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time:  First Reading // Wisdom 9:13-18b Psalm // Psalm 90:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 14 and 17 Second Reading // Philemon 9-10, 12-17 Gospel // Luke 14:25-33 Live Liturgically // This Week’s Feast Days Sunday, September 7 // Twenty-third Sunday in Ordinary Time Monday, September 8 // Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Tuesday, September 9 // Memorial of Saint Peter Claver, Priest Friday, September 12 // Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary  

September 5, 2025 // Optional Memorial of Saint Teresa of Calcutta, Virgin Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Colossians 1:15-20 Reflect on the Word //  I wiped away tears inconspicuously as the treadmill rolled on. Using a documentary about Mother Teresa to motivate me, I looked forward to watching more each day. I’d seen it before but that didn’t matter. The footage of her greeting crowds and cradling babies, caressing the faces of the sick and suffering, folding her hands in prayer—in every frame, love poured forth from her wrinkled face through the screen. It made me want to “do something beautiful for God” too (source, p. 125). It’s always fascinated me how even the secular world recognized her extraordinary witness. There are many saintly social workers, but they aren’t awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Rather, there is something supernatural drawing our collective attention and admiration here. Saint Paul tells us that “Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,” and in union with Jesus, Mother Teresa tangibly expressed and imaged that love to the world.  After entering religious life, she received a call within a call, eventually founding the Missionaries of Charity to answer Jesus’ cry from the Cross in His thirst for souls. Her vocation was undoubtedly unique, but an individual call from God is not rare. You and I are each called to a particular vocation and mission that only we can respond to. The circumstances will surely be different, but the heart is the same—because we bear His image and are baptized into Christ, we, too, make visible the love of the invisible God.  Mother Teresa discovered the all-surpassing greatness of Jesus, Who “is before all things, and in him all things hold together,” and gave Him her all in return (Colossians 1:17). Through years of painful purifications and persevering prayer, she began to look more and more like the Beloved—so much so that the whole world could see it. This transformation is offered to us as well—for all that we have and are to be transformed into all that He is—and it is the formula for sainthood. Relate to the Lord // What can you offer to Jesus today? Ask Him what graces He is waiting to give you.  

September 4, 2025 // Thursday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s First Reading: Colossians 1:9-14 Reflect on the Word // Her veil delicately rested on her head, meeting her elbows, her floor-length dress sat comfortably on the top of her shoes, her smile was wide, and her joy was complete as she prepared to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist for the first time. I looked over at her parents who were beaming with pride, her grandparents who were equally in awe, and the whole row of people relishing this long-awaited moment. I snapped a couple of photos from my vantage point and remembered praying for this beautiful girl when she was in the womb and then holding her as a newborn in awe of the gift of her life.  The sea of girls in white dresses and boys in their suits was brought here through prayer. Many had received their Baptisms at the same spot they were now receiving the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. From their first Sacrament, when they were welcomed into the Church, these children have been loved through unceasing prayer by great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. Their actions echo Saint Paul’s words: “From the day we heard about you, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9). The fruit of that prayer was now clothed in the Sacrament of Holy Communion.  Saint Paul reminds us that we draw closer to Jesus through the generosity of the unceasing prayers of so many that have gone before us and walk alongside us on this pilgrimage journey. The community gathering to celebrate Sacraments reminds us of those prayers that call out from the depths of our hearts for the salvation of our loved ones. In these celebrations we welcome a family member back to the Church, receive with joy the newly baptized, and witness the grace being given to those whom we love through the communion of the universal Church expressed in our local community. And we look forward to seeing the full effect of our prayers when we are all in communion together in the Kingdom of Heaven. Relate to the Lord // What community supports and celebrates you? Pray for them today.  

September 3, 2025 // Memorial of Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Psalm: Psalm 52:10, 11 Reflect on the Word //  “Coming!” My voice echoed in the empty house as I darted down the stairs one last time to join my family in the feeble mid-May Alaskan sunshine. Clumps of snow still clung tenaciously to the edge of the driveway, where we loaded our final round of belongings into our mid-size SUV and shuffled in to begin the long drive from Anchorage to Las Vegas, Nevada.  As the daughter of a military family, my childhood memories are a montage of scenes like this one: bare houses, full vans, cross-country drives, new cities. As a kid I appreciated the sense of adventure afforded by these frequent opportunities to begin again. In time, however, I saw this instability in my early years contributing to a restlessness of spirit that wore deep, anxious grooves in my heart. When the one constant was that everything could be expected to change so suddenly . . . where could I place my trust?  Today’s Psalm provides the answer: “I, like a green olive tree in the house of God, [t]rust in the mercy of God forever and ever” (Psalm 52:10). All trees stay grounded with the help of resilient root networks, but the thickly intertwined trunks of olive trees evoke a particular sturdiness. To pray with this image is to imagine myself similarly rooted in the Lord’s unfailing love, wrapped securely in His attentive care.  I am sure you have your own reasons for doubting the Lord and His love, sister. Frequent, significant changes are not restricted to the children of Air Force officers, but are rather our lot as humans. Yet we can always root ourselves with certainty in this: the kindness and mercy of an unchanging Father Who is always with us. And when we look back on our lives with this truth in mind, we’ll find that, like the Psalmist, we can turn to the Lord with praise and say, “[T]hank you always for what you have done, and [I] proclaim the goodness of your name before your faithful ones” (Psalm 52:11).   Relate to the Lord // How’s your security? Take some time to notice your level of rootedness in the Lord today.  

September 2, 2025 // Tuesday of the Twenty-second Week in Ordinary Time Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 4:31-37 Reflect on the Word //  “You’re not the boss of me!” I hear these words yelled in frustration by a five-year-old at his older brother and sister. Even young children have an innate sense of proper authority, of who is and is not in charge.  I, too, want to know who has the authority to govern. Whether in the workplace, the political sphere, or the Church, I seek assurance that those in charge can be trusted. Today’s Gospel highlights this same instinct: “[A]nd they were astonished at his teaching because he spoke with authority” (Luke 4:32). Why does the way Jesus exercises authority astonish his listeners? Surely other Rabbis spoke with confidence and were well prepared, knowing their audience. What made His authority different? Jesus not only speaks the Word of God, He is the Word of God made flesh (see John 1:14). He says and does everything in union with the Father (see John 14:10). As the Son, He demonstrates the loving union of Three Persons within the One God of the universe, Who made all things. Jesus, the Son, reveals the merciful Heart of the Father. When demons interrupt Jesus’ teaching, He delivers the person suffering from possession. The swiftness with which the demons obey is so impressive that the witnesses ask, "What is there about his word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out" (Luke 4:36). Jesus simply orders the demons to come out and they do. Astonishing! Because He is God’s Word made flesh, when Jesus speaks, what He says happens. His authority astonishes me. At various moments throughout the day I hear Him speak to me in my heart. Listen to Me. Trust Me. Follow Me. When He invites me to choose Him, it is with the same authority of the Lord Who calms seas, heals lepers, and casts out demons. I can freely listen, trust, and follow, confident that He will complete the good work He has begun in me (see Philippians 1:6).  Relate to the Lord // How have you been astonished by Jesus?