Last week, I asked my 8th grade religion class where they had seen Jesus in the last week.  I asked them to reflect on that question for a few minutes so that we could go around the room and share.  Immediately upon asking the question, they shouted out, “What do you mean?  This question doesn’t make any sense! We don’t understand!”  This got me thinking about how there are so many people who see Jesus as just a man who lived and died 2,000 years ago and who died on the cross a long time ago for our sins.  This mindset makes Jesus irrelevant and outdated.  However, this could not be further from the truth.  Christ is with us always, alive and moving in our lives and He wants to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us.

Our task is to learn to recognize that Jesus is present in the moments throughout our days.  This takes faith.  The stronger our faith is, the easier it becomes to be aware of His presence.  He is continually loving us, speaking to us, and calling us to love and serve Him.  We must continually seek Him and invite Him into our lives.  

To have a relationship with the God of the universe who created us and loves us changes everything.  It allows us to be fully alive and to live more abundantly.  It allows us to love others better and see the value and dignity of every person we encounter.

We can experience Jesus every day if we open our minds and hearts to Him.  Whether it’s through the people around us, inspiring words we read or hear, or a situation that we witness, He is there.  We can only begin to recognize Jesus in our lives when we spend time getting to know Him more.  Jesus is more than just a statue hanging in church.  He is working in our lives and in our hearts, as long as we invite Him in.  Jesus is always present in our lives, it’s just a matter of us recognizing Him.
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Jesus, thank you for your presence in our lives.  Help us to see you and hear your voice in the noise of the world.  Give us a desire to deepen our relationship with You so that we could become more aware of your constant love for us. Amen.

Recently, I was at a meeting where a discussion of Mass came up.  The conversation essentially centered around  the million dollar question of, “how can we get people, especially young people/families, into the pews?  The statements and comments that were made reflected the mindset that the mass should be about what we want and how we feel.  We will never get anywhere as a church if we don’t understand that mass is about God and for God, not us.

Being at this meeting and hearing the comments and statements about what should be changed or added to mass was quite uncomfortable, especially considering these comments came from adults.  There were comparisons of the mass to Protestant and non-denominational services.  “We should have music that makes us want to dance in our seats.”  “The choir should sing a new song every week.”  “We should add special things to make it more exciting and lively.”  “People should be more social and friendly before mass instead of just facing forward and sitting silently in the pews.”  These were all real comments that were made out loud.  The problem with these comments is that they all miss the point about mass.  Being Catholic, we are set apart from any other denomination or service.  Just because one church does “this” or “that” or does things a certain way, it does not mean that we should too.  Another statement someone shared was that “they do not know why they show up to mass every week because they don’t feel happy and good after leaving, but they keep going because they might just get something out of the homily that day.”  (We definitely can be inspired and touched by homilies and hear something we may need to hear.  However, this should not be the sole reason we go to mass.)  When we stop making it about ourselves and turn the focus to Jesus, it changes everything.

Jesus makes Himself fully present on the altar in the bread and wine at every single mass and yet people are having conversations about how to make the mass more exciting?  We can change the music, have the best homilies, and have the most vibrant community.  But if Jesus is not enough for people, none of the other stuff matters.  If people think the mass is for our entertainment, we have it all wrong.

At every mass, Jesus is fully present in the Eucharist-body, blood, soul, and divinity, and He gives Himself fully to us.  If that is not enough to bring Catholics to mass, nothing is.  We don’t go to mass to experience warm and fuzzy feelings.  We go to mass to worship and encounter the living God who has breathed life into us and given us everything.

Jesus, thank you for loving us so much that you make yourself fully present to us at every mass.  Help us to appreciate this amazing gift that you give us.  Open our eyes and our hearts and deepen our faith so that we would strengthen our love for the Eucharist and the mass.  Give us a desire to share this love with others.  Amen.

About a month ago, I started a new job.  As I look back at the process and timing, I can easily recognize that it was completely God at work.  Do we fully and completely trust in Him and His promises? 

I had decided to pray a novena to St. Therese of Lisieux leading up to her feast day, October 1st.  My intention for the novena was for a new job.  I ended up being offered a new job on the last day of the novena.  This seemed almost unreal.  Was this just a coincidence or God?  Two weeks later, on the first day of my new job, I woke up to see the organization I had just finished working for in the news, and not for good reasons.  An arrest was made that morning.  The crazy and perfect timing of me starting a different job seems unbelievable.  I knew in that instant, without a doubt, that it was God.

The prayer and desire for a new job, I realized, was secondary.  Although that was my petition for the novena, what I was actually praying for was greater trust in God and confidence in His promises.  Part of the prayer each day was “Your trust in God was complete.  Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions…(x).  Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God.”  Those are some powerful and life-changing words.  To be able to trust God in all things is a sign of true faith.  We can see this in St. Therese and so many other saints.  Their lives are great examples of how we can grow in our trust and love for God.

We can pray for a lot of different things but ultimately, we need to be able to trust God and believe fully in His goodness, love, and mercy, regardless of how He answers our prayers.  The more we trust God, the more it spills into every aspect of our lives.  When we trust God, it becomes easier for us to see Him working in our lives.  It becomes easier for us to recognize the gifts and blessings he pours out upon us.  It becomes easier for us to count on His timing rather than our own.  The next time you pray for a specific intention, you may just be praying for greater trust and confidence in God’s goodness.
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God, thank you for loving us and providing what we need when we need it.  You created us and know our every need.  Give us the desire to do Your will and to trust You with our lives.  Help us to see Your goodness and mercy in our lives every day.  May we never fail to recognize You in our midst.  Amen.

A few days ago Taylor Swift released a new album.  I don’t pay too much attention to her, but talk about the album has been blowing up on social media and people were weirdly emotional about the songs that were released.  While most of the discussion was praising Swift and hyping her up, I came across some commentary that was the opposite.  What this person essentially said is, Taylor Swift has built her career on the hate she has for others.  I agree with this opinion, as it seems some of her most recent music is a reflection of the anger, hatred, blame, and bitterness that is built up in our culture.  As Catholics and Christians, we must do better.  We cannot let ourselves fall into this trap of resentment and bitterness.

It seems as if almost every area of our lives is permeated by this attitude of revenge and destruction.  Music, TV shows, and movies are just the beginning.  People so often complain about being offended by the smallest things, yet, will blatantly speak curse words directly to or about another person.  Using derogatory and negative language towards another person is what is truly offensive.  When we walk over other people to try to lift ourselves up, we walk over Jesus himself.

We are called to live in a way that reflects Christ- his mercy, forgiveness, humility, and love.  If we all strived to be a little more forgiving, a little more humble, and a little more loving, the world around us would change.  To do this, we must remember that we are all sinners who fall short of perfection.  But even greater than our sinfulness and weaknesses is Christ’s life-giving healing and love.

Look at a crucifix.  Look at the wounds, the scars, and the beaten and bloody body of Jesus.  This love that he poured out on the cross is for you and for me and for all who have ever lived.  He died for every single person in this world; even those who you think have wronged you or those who you may have been hurt by.  It is only by His example and help that we have the capacity to love, forgive, and humbly admit when we are wrong.
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Jesus, thank you for your unending love and forgiveness.  Help us walk in your path.  Give us the grace to live counter- culturally and in a way that takes others by surprise.  We are far from perfect, but may all that we do and say be a reflection of You- who are perfect in love, mercy, and humility.  Amen.

“There are so many people who have been praying for you and who love and support you.”  As I reflect on the last week and several days, these words that I heard from someone at the visitation before my dad’s funeral seem to sum it up well.  The days since Friday, October 29th have seemed to blur together, at times it seemed like the longest week ever, and yet the days  seemed to have also passed by so quickly.  I cried more than I thought was possible, laughed as memories were shared while my family spent a whole week together, and received more hugs than ever before.  My dad is the closest family member I have lost so far.  Having really only lost grandparents before, this hit much differently and much harder than anything I have ever experienced.  Something I have been reminded of over the last week is that God never leaves us alone in our suffering.  He walks right alongside us and carries us through our weakest and most vulnerable moments.  

It almost brings tears to my eyes to think about all of the people who have allowed Christ to love my family and I through them.  I have been completely overwhelmed by the response of the community around us.  The countless texts, phone calls, and messages from people reaching out to us.  All of the people who have told us to let them know if they could do anything for us. The knocks on our door and people visiting to check in or bring food (So.Much.Food).The countless cards and flowers.  All of the people who showed up at the wake and/or funeral.  And most of all, everyone who has been praying and continues to pray for my dad and family.  I have been reminded that the only thing we can do is accept the love and support that we are being given.  

It is a grace to allow others to show up and lift us up in times of need.  Allowing other people to love us and pray for us gives them the opportunity to respond to the call to be Christ to others.  It is okay to cry, mourn, and feel weak.  When we reveal our emotions and vulnerability to others, we allow them to love us in different ways.  Through that vulnerability and weakness, Jesus lifts us up and changes our hearts and the hearts of those who are helping to comfort us and lift us up.
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Jesus, help us to be open to receiving your love more deeply into our lives.  Give us the grace and courage to be open about our sufferings and weaknesses and allow us to become vulnerable in times of need.  May we see You in those around us and always be receptive to the ways they are praying for us, loving us, supporting us, and lifting us up.  Amen.

A few days ago at work, I was really cold and could not stay warm.  I was doing some training with one of my co-worker’s whose office space is right next to a window.  After a certain point in the day, the sunlight hit the glass.  Once I moved closer to her desk, I felt the sun shining through the window.  Bright and intense, it warmed me up instantly.  It was like I was sitting next to a fire.  Moving closer to the sun, the light and warmth changed how I felt.  In the same way, when we let the Son into our lives, and move closer to Him, His light and warmth changes us and those around us.

The light and love of Christ changes everything.  Before we ever have a real encounter with Him, our faith might be lukewarm and our hearts cold and hard.  When we open up our hearts to Him and allow ourselves to be transformed, we will be set ablaze.  All it takes is one little spark to ignite in our souls for our faith to turn into a fire.

 How many Catholics are living mediocre spiritual lives?  How many people are in the dark, searching for truth in the world?  How many are lost and without hope?  How many people have lost the fire that they maybe once had?  Once we have experienced the light and love of Jesus, we must reflect that light and love to others.

Jesus desires for us to be souls on fire.  And every day, we must take action to keep that fire burning.  How can we do this?  Attending mass and receiving the Eucharist, reading scripture, spending time in adoration and prayer, reading spiritual books, going on retreats, and spending time with others who share our faith are just a few ways that we can build that fire up so that we can share it with all we encounter.  It is by our warmth, light, and love that others can be drawn to Christ.

The world often seems like a dark place.  There is so much violence, hatred, despair, and confusion.  But the light is greater than the darkness.  People walking down paths of darkness need to be shown love and light.  May we all let the Son shine in our lives and work to help light the way.
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Jesus, you are the light of the world.  Without you, there is no hope and the world would seem dark and cold.  Give us the desire to move closer to you and help us be a reflection of your light and love to all we meet.  Set our hearts and souls on fire with flames that burn so brightly that others might come to know You.  Amen.

“To always be close to Jesus, that is my life plan.”  These words are so simple yet so profound.  I came across these words from Blessed Carlo Acutis a few days ago and was struck by his wisdom.  He really got it right when he gave this response.  When we take a few minutes to think about it, this is really the only thing that matters.  What is your life plan?  Is your main goal and desire in life to stay close to Jesus?

Our culture is obsessed with planning and figuring things out and thinking about the future.  For as long as I can remember, I have dreaded the often asked question, “where do you see yourself in five years?  Ten years? Etc.  When people ask me this question, the one thing I always really want to respond with is, “I’m not really sure…wherever God leads me.”  Most of the time, this answer doesn’t seem to cut it for the people who ask.  It’s good to make plans, have goals, and hopes and dreams but can we stop putting so much focus on these temporary and inconsequential things?  It’s okay to not know what career you want to have, what professional goals you want to accomplish, or when you are going to make a big life change.  

What truly matters?  What should our greatest focus be?  Receiving the love of Jesus and allowing Him to work in our lives.  Letting our hearts be shaped and transformed to expand our capacity to love.  Cultivating a strong interior life so that we can live a life of prayer and be more attuned to His presence in our lives.  And ultimately, to always be close to Jesus.

​Our lives are full of ups and downs, good times, hardships, joys, and challenges.  It can become discouraging to look around and see other people who seem like they have everything figured out and as if everything is going according to their plans.  But the truth is, no one really knows what they’re doing on their own.  The one thing we must figure out is that the only way to live this life is to focus on Jesus, let Him take care of everything, and to remain in His love always.  Once we understand that the most important thing we can do is never stray from His path, everything else we need to know will follow.  There are a lot of things I don’t have figured out.  But one thing I do know is that I want to always be close to Jesus.

Jesus, thank you for loving us.  Help us to remember that your ways are better than our ways.  Give us the desire to always be close to You because that is the greatest life plan we could ever have.  May we stay always close to You so that we would be a reflection of your love and light to all those around us.  Amen.

A few nights ago, someone told me that a retreat that I was part of was on the verge of being cancelled.  Whether this decision was already confirmed or not, once I heard this, my motivation to write my talk, which I was supposed to practice at the last team meeting a few days later, went out the window.  I figured I better still write the talk anyway because I made a commitment to do so plus I did not really know for sure whether or not the retreat was being cancelled.  So I sat down Saturday night and Sunday after the Packer game to write the talk I had said ‘yes’ to doing.  Once I arrived at the team meeting Sunday evening, we were all tasked with sharing our opinions through a vote on paper about whether the retreat weekends should proceed.  Although I thought it was probably unrealistic for the retreat to take place due to a shortage of people and certain circumstances, I still really wanted the weekend to take place.  Maybe this was out of a selfish desire to be able to do what I committed to or the fact that I could really use a retreat right now.  When I found out I still had to give my talk at the meeting, when there was a good chance the retreat would not happen, and to a room of only eight other team members, it was a little disheartening.  What was the point?  As I gave my talk and shortly after, I realized that there was, in fact, a point.  Around 10:00 PM Sunday night when I got the anticipated email, there was definitely disappointment.  I saw it coming and understood, but still felt disappointed by the news of the retreat cancellation.  One point was made in person and in the email that really struck me.  The comment made was that there is value in the preparation.  The process of preparing and writing a talk is valuable.  This helped me realize that it is okay to feel disappointment in the retreat being cancelled, but there is still goodness within.  All this is to say, nothing that we do for God and His glory is ever wasted.

What came more than disappointment was the realization that retreat or not, God is still working and the community will still be there.  When you remove the retreat, there are still prayers being offered, inspiration from others, and a strong community that is there to pray for you and support you.  As I practiced my talk in front of those eight women and listened to their comments and feedback, knowing that it may not be given at the retreat, I was filled with joy, peace, and love that comes only from God.  And in those moments and throughout the rest of the evening, those gifts of the Holy Spirit overpowered the feeling of disappointment.  I knew that regardless of whether or not the retreat was going to take place, everyone who had a role in the weekend was there because they have a deep love for God and want to share that love with others.  All our efforts and preparation were not wasted because they were for God.  The retreat may be cancelled but God is not and neither are all of the fruits that come from working to serve Him and make Him known.  Community was built, prayers were and still are being said, and each person has, hopefully, grown a few more steps closer to God.  

Maybe you have experienced something being cancelled.  Maybe your plans have changed or things are not going the way you had hoped.  Whatever situation you may find yourself in, know that God can and will still use you.  You are being called to share His love with others and serve Him each and every day.  As long as you work for the glory of God, nothing you do is wasted.

​God, thank you for always showing up, even when it may look different than planned or expected.  Help us to remember that there is value in our preparation and work, especially when it is done for You.  Give us the desire to share Your love with others so that they may come to know You.  May all that we do be for Your glory and praise.  Amen.

Last week in my 8th grade religious ed class, we were discussing discipleship and how to grow closer to Christ.  The students came up with a fairly good list of the things that are necessary to deepen our faith.  The conversation we had led me to one thought.  We know exactly what we should be doing to grow closer to Jesus and live as better disciples, yet, why do we so often not do those things?

There are so many distractions in our lives and excuses we make.  It’s so easy to attribute lack of prayer time to busyness or being too tired.  While these may seem like valid excuses and God still loves us, the truth is, these excuses usually mean that we are not prioritizing well or making good use of our time.  This is a process and a journey that takes time.  It is easy to become discouraged, but we must not give up.  God sees our efforts and knows that becoming a better disciple is something that we need to work on each day.

I’ve always wanted to be one of those people who prayed the rosary every day.  It was easy for me to admire those people, while at the same time, telling myself that it would take too much effort and dedication.  I often told myself that maybe I would start praying the rosary every day, but “not yet” or “maybe later.”  A few weeks ago at my Bible study, one of the girls said something that challenged and changed my thoughts.  She talked about how she could not make excuses to not pray the rosary because she has a 15 minute drive to work each morning.  After sitting with that for a few days, I decided that I too could pray a rosary on the way to or from work each day, as I have a 20+ minute drive.  I often do not “feel” like praying or would really rather listen to music or a podcast, but I have taken those first steps.  It is a work-in-progress.

That is how the spiritual life is.  A lot of the excuses we have for not trying to grow closer to Jesus may come down to one thing.  When we look below the surface, we will find that it may be laziness, lack of motivation, and overall, that we “just don’t feel like it.”  When we work to limit the distractions, prioritize better, and schedule dedicated time for prayer and other activities that help us in our faith, our lives will be much more fulfilling.  Many times, we may not feel like praying (or any other thing that we should do to strengthen our faith) and we might want to choose to do other things instead.  This is when we need to remind ourselves that being a disciple is not about what we want, but rather, what we need.  And that is to know and love Christ deeply and to follow Him wholeheartedly.

Jesus, we want to become better disciples.  Help us to do the things we need to do in order to grow closer to you.  Fill us with the desire to know you more and love you more deeply, even when we don’t feel like it.  Give us the dedication and commitment that we need to follow your ways and live a life that is for you alone.  Take away the trivial things which are distractions in our lives.  Help us focus on you.  Amen.

Do you want to know something that I really dislike?  When people use the terms “dog mom” and “fur babies.”  It is something seemingly small and simple and maybe it is just me, but when people act like they are parents to their pets, it feels like they are trying to put animals and humans on the same level.  Taking care of a baby and taking care of a cat or dog are two completely different things.  Children and dogs/cats are not the same and they do not even come close.  Last week, as I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw that someone had a whole birthday party for her dog.  Cupcakes, candles, party hats, singing, presents, and all the works.  Come on.  Don’t you think that’s a little overboard?  If you’re six years old, it might be cute.  But a 20-something year old celebrating a dog’s birthday when the dog cannot understand or grasp the concept of a birthday seems a little strange to me.  Don’t get me wrong, animals can very much be a part of a family and provide great memories and value.  They provide companionship, entertainment, fun, exercise, and more.  However, I do think our culture has a bit of an obsession.  The affection people have for animals has become a bit disordered and I think this is evident in the way our culture views human life and its value.

God created both people and animals.  The difference is, He created male and female in his image.  As people, we have the ability to reflect God’s love in different and unique ways.  We have the  ability to pray, to choose to do good, and to have a relationship with God.  We have the capacity to love others and receive love.  This is how God created us.  Because of this simple fact, humans have value, purpose, and dignity that does not compare to anything else and that no one can take away.

Going back to the terms “dog mom” and “fur babies”, not only are these terms just annoying, but they also attempt to diminish the value and sacrifices of parents.  Whether biological parents, adoptive parents, spiritual mothers and fathers, and others in our lives who guide us, teach us, and care for us, they play vital and irreplaceable roles.  I am not a parent, but I sure can appreciate everything that parents do and the sacrifices they make to raise their children.  They work hard to provide for their kids, spend many hours awake and have many sleepless nights, and do all that they can to teach their kids to be good, moral, and hopefully faith-filled people.  Their hearts and the love they have for their kids are a reflection of the love God has for us.  These things do not extend to pets because there is no need.  They do not have the ability to reason or make choices based on what they are taught.  Sure, there is a bit of responsibility that comes with having a dog or cat, like making sure they don’t pee on your carpet or chew up a shoe.  But this responsibility pales in comparison to the responsibility that parents have to their children and other children in their lives.  Adults form kids into who they are going to be as adults.  This is huge and it often feels like our society does not seem to care all that much about how much humans really matter.

One incident I clearly remember that demonstrates this happened about five years ago.  There was a young child who fell into the gorilla exhibit at the Cincinnati Zoo.  The gorilla, Harambe, got ahold of the child and began dragging him around.  There was video footage that quickly became viral on social media and the videos clearly showed that the child’s life was in danger.  A zoo worker shot and killed the gorilla in order to ensure the safety of the young boy.  Immediately after this news story spread, the internet went crazy.  There was outrage, grief, and petitions.  There were groups and petitions that sprang forth demanding “Justice for Harambe.”  There were debates about what course of action should have been taken.  The circumstances were unfortunate but it should not have even been a question about whose life to save.  We must always love the human life before we love the animal life.

Looking around at the world, it’s difficult to understand why so many do not appreciate and value the most precious gift God has given us- life.  Legalized abortion has allowed over 60 million babies to be killed in the name of “choice.”  A few thousand abortions take place each day in our country and many don’t even give it a thought.  Abortion is an especially hot topic right now as many fight to enshrine abortion into national law to overturn any existing protections for the unborn.  People have been sucked into the mindset that there is a right to discard the life of the smallest and most vulnerable- babies in the womb.  Physician-assisted suicide, or “death with dignity” as many call it, is becoming more widely accepted and legalized in more states.  The idea that helping to end the life of someone who is terminally ill or suffering is the compassionate and loving thing to do is absurd.  Or what about the widespread use of contraception or IVF.  These practices violate the nature of the person and life itself.  With these practices, babies are treated as commodities that people “have a right to” or products to satisfy rather than as gifts from God.
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I could go on and on with this post.  But the biggest question is what can we do to change how our society views human life?  While it seems like a daunting task, God can and will use us.  We cannot sit back and do nothing.  We must pray for a culture that values life; that means every single human life.  We must have conversations with others and defend our beliefs when someone says or does something to try to diminish the value of life.  We must receive the good of every person we encounter, no matter who they are because they are made in God’s image and likeness.  Being human sets us apart.  We have dignity and worth simply because God made us.  In the words of St. John Paul II, “Never tire of firmly speaking out in defense of life from its conception and do not be deterred from the commitment to defend the dignity of every human person with courageous determination. Christ is with you: be not afraid!”