Last Friday, the Church celebrated the memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe.  One famous quote that is attributed to him is, “the most deadly poison of our time is indifference.”  This is prevalent in our world today.  It is seen in hearts that are lukewarm in faith and for love of God.  Indifference is also seen when it comes to truth, morality, and the difference between right and wrong, good and evil.

We hear it all the time; phrases such as, “you do you”, when it comes to people living certain lifestyles.  We must not judge people, because only God knows their hearts and souls, and we too are sinners in great need of God’s mercy.  However, this does not mean that we should not recognize immoral behavior and stand up for the truth.  Moral relativism is rampant in our society.  It is the belief that there is no absolute truth and it changes from person to person based on personal beliefs and experiences.  As Catholics, we know that there is absolute truth and it is something we need to stand up for.

The news and media constantly bring instances of evil and immorality to our attention.  But many people see what’s going on around them and don’t recognize it as wrong, and maybe even celebrate it.  This brings to mind a verse from Isaiah, “Ah!  Those who call evil good, and good evil, who change darkness to light, and light into darkness, who change bitter to sweet, and sweet into bitter” (Isaiah 5:20, NABRE)!  We are living in times where we see something evil, and people call it good.  How often do we not want to speak up because it will bring attention to us, make us appear different, or we will be given certain labels?  However, we cannot sit back and say nothing.  If we love God, that should lead us to speak up for the truth, no matter the cost.

When we know something is immoral and evil, we cannot unknow.  And this means we have a responsibility.  As people of faith and followers of Christ, we have a responsibility to share the truth.  My prayer for today is that our hearts would be filled with the love of God to the point that we would never become indifferent to what’s happening around us, sharing the truth always.

Today’s Gospel reading is a reminder to us that to serve and follow Jesus, we must die to ourselves in small ways and offer our lives to others, serving with love.  To die to ourselves means to let go of our own desires and to live a life that puts others first.  If we are willing to die to ourselves, that is when God is able to use us to bear fruit. 

The culture we live in is very much self-centered and revolves around the “worship of self.”  We can see it all around us.  How often do we hear phrases and concepts that point to this?  “Do what makes you happy.”  “Follow your heart.”  “Put yourself first.”  “My body, my choice.”  “Live your truth.”  All of these phrases point to a life focused on worship of self and not God.  In the Gospel passage, Jesus is not saying to actually hate our lives and existence, but rather, to love Him so much more than we love our worldly comforts and desires, so that those things pale in comparison, so that we choose sacrifice and service for Him above ourselves.

We do need to grow in our personal relationship with Jesus, deepen our prayer lives, and increase our knowledge and understanding of our faith.  But, it cannot stop there.  Our faith is not just for ourselves.  We must allow our own faith and relationship with Jesus to be fuel to serve and give ourselves to others.  Our faith should lead to action.

There are so many ways that we can die to ourselves in small ways and serve others.  It doesn’t have to be complicated and can simply be giving our time and our comfort.  These are two areas where it can be easy to be selfish.  We often want more free time for ourselves and we don’t want to get outside our comfort zones.  But it is when we say “yes” and pour ourselves out for others, that God fills us to overflowing.  Maybe it is joining a new ministry at your parish, volunteering for an event, working on a retreat, sitting down to have a conversation with another who just needs someone to listen, giving someone a ride to church or to the grocery store, and just saying “yes” to something someone asks you to pray about.

We are called to choose to serve Jesus and others above ourselves.  We must be like that grain of wheat that dies.  My prayer for each of us today is that we would keep our eyes open to ways to serve and give to others, so that we can follow Jesus more fully and bear good fruit in our lives.

One evening on the Biking for Babies National Ride, we were at mass in Ames, IA.  We were sitting on the right side up in the front.  Directly across from us, on the left side, was a mom with a few kids.  One of the kids did not want to sit still and was moving between two pews, sitting on the floor, moving into the aisle and talking loudly.  He looked to be around three years old.  Right after the words of consecration, as the priest elevated the host, the little boy pointed and loudly yelled out, “that’s Jesus!  That’s Jesus right there!”  Do we, like this child, recognize who becomes present during the mass and is this reality enough for us?

In this past weekend’s Gospel, we heard the story about Jesus feeding the 5,000.  A familiar Gospel that we’ve all heard and read countless times, there was one line in particular that I was struck by.  In the passage, it says, “they all ate and were satisfied” (Matthew 14:20, NABRE).  Everyone had eaten enough to be full.  Jesus provided enough for them to be satisfied.  It brings to mind the question, is Jesus enough for us?  He makes Himself physically present to us at the Mass, and yet, oftentimes, people still go searching for something different.  It must start with knowing and recognizing that Jesus is present to us at the Mass, just like the little boy.

The number of Catholics who are not attending Mass, or skipping it from time to time for whatever reasons, is high.  There is nowhere we can go on earth to be closer to Jesus than the Mass.  Yet, how often in our world do other events, duties, and excuses win?  So many people do not think attending Mass will satisfy them, but I think if they truly knew and understood that Jesus is really present in the Eucharist, it would change everything.

Much else in our lives outside of Mass is good.  Traveling, vacations, sports, concerts, celebrations, work, and so much more.  But at the end of the day, they cannot fulfill us.  We were made for more than the temporary and fleeting things of the world.  Anything we want to try to fill our lives with will ultimately leave us empty.  But Jesus never will.

If we know and believe that Jesus is present, it changes everything.  And once we know, we must share it as much as we can with others.  My prayer for each of us today is that we can be truly satisfied and that we can exclaim in our hearts and minds when we’re at mass, “that’s Jesus right there!”

Over the weekend, I was up north at my aunt and uncle’s cottage.  We went out to eat for dinner.  At a table next to us, there was a couple with their daughter, who looked to be about 11 or 12 years old.  For about 15 minutes, the father scrolled through reels on his phone.  I will not pretend to know what this man’s relationship with his wife and daughter is.  But seeing him scrolling through videos on his phone while sitting at a table with his family is a reflection of people’s addiction to phones.  When seeing this, my first thought was, if we cannot connect with the people right in front of us, how can we connect with God?

It’s overwhelmingly clear that our society has a problem with phone use.  Most of us, myself included, can probably improve in this area.  How are our phones impacting our relationships with others, and most importantly, our relationship with God?  How often do we say we are too busy to commit to something, or too busy to pray more, yet we fill empty pockets of time with mindless scrolling?  We must work to prioritize our time and choose what is really important.  This doesn’t mean we can’t spend some free time doing something mindless on our phones, but that it should not take over our days.

Phones can be used for so much good and can be used as a great tool.  We can communicate quickly with others, stay in touch with family and friends who we may not see often, we can share pictures and updates, we can look up any piece of information we might ever want to know, and so much more.  When it comes to our faith, they can also be used for our benefit.  We can listen to different podcasts and watch videos to learn more, we can read articles and reflections, we can use apps, like Hallow, Ascension, Relevant Radio, and many more to help us pray.  There are so many resources that we have available at the tap of a button that can help us grow in our faith.  We simply need to take time to evaluate if the time spent on our phones is helping our relationship with God, or pulling us away from Him.

Last summer, I was on an eight day retreat in Wyoming and my phone stayed back in Wisconsin.  That alone was one of the many reasons why it was one of the best weeks.  We were able to just live in the moment, connect with each other, and more deeply with God.  It was so refreshing and freeing, knowing that I didn’t have to look at or check any screens and that the older adult leaders had their phones and were taking care of any logistical needs and emergencies.  The way our world works, most of us will not have opportunities to be without our phones for that long of a time, but even taking shorter breaks away from our phones can make a huge difference.

Any time that we are with others, outside of our homes, it is an opportunity to love the people in front of us, by giving them our full attention.  This may mean just existing in silence together, not always having to be in conversation.  And any time that we can put aside our phones and limit the distractions, it is a time to speak to God and to allow Him to speak to us.

Our phones are powerful pieces of technology that can pull us away from God or bring us closer, helping us have a strong connection.  We can all work to improve and use our phones as tools rather than distractions.  When we are able to connect with the people around us, we are able to experience God within them.  And when we are able to connect with God, we are better able to know and hear His voice.

What apps or resources do you use on your phone to pray and connect with God?  Feel free to share!

Living our lives as followers of Jesus means that we will be called to do things that are outside of our comfort zone.  We will find ourselves doing what we never thought we would, things that were not in our plans.  I started something new recently and while excited, I am also a bit terrified.  It brings to mind the story of Jesus walking on water.  Will we be like Peter and have the faith to get out of the boat?

When you start something new, you likely have many thoughts running through your mind.  “Am I the right person to do this?  I have no idea what I’m doing.  I don’t have the qualifications.  What if I fail?  I might disappoint others.”  These are thoughts I have had.  But they are not from the Lord.  Once we commit to doing something that scares us or makes us uncomfortable, we must keep our focus on Jesus.

Jesus calls out to Peter to come towards Him on the water.  In our lives, Jesus calls us to come towards Him in order to serve and love Him in different ways.  Peter steps out of the boat in faith.  When Jesus calls out to us, we too must step out in faith.  Even when we are afraid and might feel uncomfortable.  We must not focus on our human limitations and weaknesses, but instead focus on Christ who is right there with us, giving us what we need.

If we always stay where we feel comfortable and safe, we likely will miss where Jesus is asking us to go and what He is asking us to do.  It might be the smallest task He is asking of us for the day, or it might be something much larger.  Regardless, we need to ask Him to lead us.

While we know that Peter starts to sink because He takes his eyes off of Jesus and focuses on the storm, we also know that it took great faith for him to even take that first step, to leave the boat.  Will we have that same faith?  My prayer for each of us today is that we would all be able to step out of the boat and to walk towards Jesus who is calling us to become ever closer to Him.

Today’s Gospel seems to be the perfect message at exactly the right time.  Tomorrow morning (Saturday), my teammates on the Minnesota route, as well as missionaries on eight other routes will travel to meet in-person, getting ready to start the National Ride for Biking for Babies.  Sharing the Gospel of Life and our faith with others as we travel across the country, we will experience some of what Jesus was talking about in the Gospel.  Each of us must remember that the Holy Spirit will provide the courage that we need to endure to the end.

In today’s culture, it is quite clear that many people are hostile to faith and the truth that all life, from conception to natural death, is a gift.  As we travel through different towns and states, we will share about the joy of life and the gift that it is.  From encounters at the side of the road, in gas stations, at parks, and more, we will meet and talk to many people who support what we are doing.  But, we will also meet others who are opposed to the mission, people who are against pregnancy resource centers, and people who do not value and respect life.  We will, at times, find ourselves “…like sheep in the midst of wolves…” (Matthew 10:16, NABRE).  While we will encounter people who reject Jesus and the truth about the gift of life, we must remain at peace, trusting that the Holy Spirit will provide what we need.

When God calls us to do something, He always gives us what we need.  God calls each and every one of us to share our faith, to evangelize and share the Gospel by our lives, in both word and action.  That will look different for each of us, depending on where we are at.  Jesus did guarantee that we would face persecution, even if just in very small ways, but he also promised that He would be with us, helping us to endure to the end.

How is Jesus asking you to be a witness for Him?  Whether it’s in your own neighborhood or somewhere across the country, He is calling you to something.  Do not fear, have faith that He will provide exactly what you need right when you need it.  My prayer for today is that each of us can boldly share our faith always, even when we are in the midst of people who reject Jesus.

If you want to support pregnancy resource centers across the country and support the formation of young adult missionaries in the Gospel of Life, donate to Biking for Babies to help us reach our fundraising goal for this mission year! 🙂 

Link here: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/2026missionary/account/2328294/    

In the Old Testament, things like the Golden Calf and pagan gods were idols.  Today, the idols in our world look a bit different.  A group of fifth and sixth graders were discussing the 1st commandment and listing off different idols that people might have today, and they came up with a pretty solid list including; money, sports, social media, and Taylor Swift.  As the discussion continued, one girl raised her hand, with a little concern in her voice, and asked, “Wait, can we still love Taylor Swift?  We just have to love God more than her, right?”  This kid gets it!  We can love other people and enjoy things in our lives, but we have to love God above all.

When it comes to modern idols, we typically don’t see people bowing down before them in adoration and praise.  But rather, the idols in today’s world include anything that is placed before God.  When other people and things are placed above God, we are pulled away from Him.  Ultimately, this is often what leads people to not go to Mass.  The desires for pleasure, power, and possessions pull us away from God.  We see this when people choose things like comfort/sleep, vacation, or sports instead of Mass.

When we say we believe in and love God, our lives must reflect it.  Otherwise, it is just an empty phrase.  Since love is an action and not simply a feeling, our belief in and love of God must lead us to pray, worship Him at mass, and serve generously.  It is only when we do these things that we can make God the priority in our lives, honoring the 1st commandment.

God is not against us enjoying the good things in life, as He is the giver of all good gifts.  We can enjoy sports, listening to artists, using technology and other items that enhance or make life easier.  It’s when we love and enjoy them more than God that it becomes a problem.

Today, there is so much that can compete for our attention.  We must always make sure that we are putting God in the number one spot.  So, go to that football game, take time for a hobby or activity that you like, go on vacation, but don’t allow these things to become idols that pull you away from God or from Mass.  In the wisdom of a 6th grader, continue to love Taylor Swift, but just don’t love her more than God!

Today’s Gospel is Jesus calming the storm while the disciples are in the boat and afraid.  We can all probably relate to having storms in our lives and being afraid.  But we can also probably relate to feeling like Jesus is resting while we need Him.  As the boat is rocked by waves, Jesus is asleep.  (Matthew 8:24, NABRE).  Have you ever felt like Jesus was asleep, like you are praying and not getting an answer or the answer you think you want?  Jesus is always with us and He always gives us what is best for us and responds in the ways that we need.

This Gospel passage is ultimately about trust and our faith in Jesus.  Do we trust that Jesus never abandons us?  Do we have faith that He will get us through the storms?  Oftentimes, it is easier to be focused on the storms and challenges in our lives, and we allow those storms to cloud our faith.  But the greater the trust and faith we have, the more aware we are that Jesus cares and that He is with us always, ready to help us.

Jesus being asleep in the boat tells us that He was at peace and He had things under control.  This should remind us to be at peace in the storms of life, trusting that Jesus is in the midst of the storms.  And the only way we can be at peace is if we stay focused on Jesus, keeping our gaze fixed on Him.  Often, it is through the storms that we can be drawn closer to Jesus and grow to know Him more deeply.  But we just have to trust and keep our faith.

If you are going through anything challenging right now, know that Jesus is with you in the boat.  If it seems like Jesus is silent or asleep, surrender to Him and believe that He is in control.  My prayer for each of us today is that we would always live with an awareness of Christ’s presence in the storms and trust that He is right there with us in the boat.

Throughout our lives, we get glimpses of God in both big ways and small ways.  From large events to ordinary moments, He reveals Himself to us.  Do we notice when He does?

My grandma Mart (Martha) had a prayer card with Pope John Paul II on her refrigerator for as long as I could remember.  I remember being captivated by the image and looking at it whenever I was at her house.  When she died in 2019, the grandkids had a chance to pick out items from her house to keep.  With St. John Paul II being my favorite saint by this point, I wanted that prayer card.  However, my younger sister grabbed it.  A few years later, I bought some books from a friend who started thrifting and selling Catholic items.  I opened up the package of books that she mailed to me, and in that package was the same exact prayer card.  I couldn’t believe it.  What are the chances she would stick this card in with my order?  She would not have known about this card being on my Grandma’s fridge and me having wanted the card.  Some people would say that it’s just a coincidence, but as people who have faith, it points to the reality of nothing happening by accident.  St. John Paul II once said, “In God’s plan, nothing happens by chance.” God has His hand in everything.

While the prayer card is not a big deal, and just a small material item, receiving it one random day gave me a glimpse of God.  When something good and unexpected happens, we have God to thank.  Oftentimes, people are inspired to do something because of a prompting from God, whether they know it or not.  This is one of the many ways that God makes Himself known.  Do we recognize Him?

We need to look for God in our days.  He is there and He is working.  We must be open to see His hand and His providence in our lives.

Where have you seen God at work in your life in a seemingly small and ordinary experience?  My prayer is that each of us can recognize that maybe the moments that seem like a coincidence are actually orchestrated by God.  Keep your eyes open, He may just send you a prayer card or something even greater that you never expected! 

In the Gospel from this past weekend, we were reminded that we are all sent on a mission, tasked with the responsibility of helping to build up God’s kingdom.  When we are called to something, how do we respond?

The Gospel passage speaks of the needs of the people and how the apostles are called to serve.  Jesus tells His disciples, “the harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” (Matthew 9:37-38).  Upon hearing this, we may typically think of the need for more priests and religious vocations, and that certainly is what we must continue to pray for.  However, this passage should remind us that we are all called to be laborers, no matter where we are in life.

Each and every baptized Catholic is tasked with the mission of living our faith and sharing the Gospel.  This is not just reserved for priests and religious.  We are all called to holiness.  It would be easy to just sit in the pews at Mass each week and think that evangelization is the job of others.  But the mission field is far and wide, and we each have a part to play in sharing Christ with others and making Him known.  Can other people tell that we are Christians when they see us outside of church?

Being a laborer for Christ means loving Him and serving Him.  This means, we must be serving Him through serving others and bringing His love to the world around us.  The field that we work in will vary depending on wherever we are, but it may be school, the workplace, among our families and friends, or in our local community.  We don’t have to go far to share the Gospel, we are called to serve and live our faith, right where we are.

Jesus tells His disciples that there is a lot of work but a lack of workers.  The same is true for us today.  We each are called to say “yes” to be a laborer for Christ.  May each of us find the field Jesus is calling us to tend to and get to work, because the harvest truly is abundant!