“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!”

I teach eighth grade faith formation and last Wednesday was the first night of class.  I created a handout with several questions for the students to answer just to see where they were at and what kinds of things they knew.  Two of the questions included on the sheet were, “What topics are you most interested in learning about this year?” and “What is one thing you hope to understand or learn more about?”.  After they finished filling out the sheets, we discussed some of their answers to the questions.  I collected all of their sheets and we continued on with the rest of class.  At the end of class I was looking through all of the answers and noticed that for either of the two questions mentioned above, just about every student had written “Jesus” as one of their responses.  At first, upon looking through their responses, I was a little disappointed.  I figured they had written Jesus as a response because of apathy and passiveness.  They didn’t have any ideas of what they would want to learn about and probably didn’t care so they put Jesus as a simple and safe option.  My first thought was, “well, that’s not exactly what I was looking for.  That’s it?  It’s too general.  I wanted them to write something more specific… Of course we’ll talk about Jesus.” 

But then it hit me.  Of course we’ll talk about Jesus.  They got it right.  Whether we talk about the Bible, saints, sacraments, the Mass, or church teachings, it will be about Jesus.  The answer seemed so basic and like it was lacking in depth at first.  Then I realized that many of them may not really know much about Jesus or who He is.  They might have a real desire to know who He is and why He matters.  And as a catechist, my role is to help them learn just that.  That evening, a group of 8th grade students unintentionally reminded me of something very important.

It’s all about Jesus.  Jesus is why we are Catholic and why anything else matters.  Every topic we cover and discussion we have should ultimately point back to Him.  It’s good and important to learn about church history, facts, and documents.  But at the end of the day, these 13 and 14 year olds will likely forget a lot of it.  However, if they come to know Jesus and have a better understanding of why we need Him and why we believe what we believe, that is something they hopefully will never forget.
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Lord, you have called us all to share this deep and beautiful faith you have given us with others- with kids, family members, friends, co-workers, and fellow parishioners.  Give me the knowledge and wisdom I need to carry out this task.  I need you to help me speak what you want me to say and guide me as I teach.  Use me as your instrument to share the truth, beauty and goodness of the church.  May others see You in me.  Work through me so that others may be inspired or touched by You in some small way.  Amen.

(Side note: Rather than cramming through a whole textbook, the goal for the year is to pick a few topics/areas and focus on them.  There are so many possibilities.  What is important for 8th grade students to know?  I would love to get ideas on what you think 8th grade students should learn about/discuss in class.  Drop any suggestions in the comments! On facebook or directly on the blog)

This past week I started listening to a new podcast, the Poco a Poco podcast.  It is with members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and in the few episodes I have listened to so far, there have been so many beautiful and profound statements and thoughts to ponder and reflect on.  The first episode I listened to was part of a series they were doing on the heart of God.  My main takeaway and reflection from the episode was how vital it is for us to have a deep encounter with the heart of God.

We can talk about God all day and learn all about who He is.  But to know about God and to have experienced His heart are two different things.  It is hard to describe what it is like to encounter the heart of God but when you have that experience, it is quite evident.  It changes you.  And it changes everything.  

God puts people in our lives who help remind us of His own heart for us.  They give us glimpses of the heart of the Father.  What do these encounters with the heart of God look like?  In my own experiences, these encounters have been times when people have spoken encouraging words, prayed over me, offered to help with something, or shared their knowledge and insight with me, just to name a few.  

When the people around us love well, we can begin to experience the goodness of God and come to know His love for us.  Once you have a personal encounter with God and experience His love, everything changes.  Each day, we can pray to be even more open to a deeper encounter.
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Lord, we want to know you.  Help us to not only know you, but to experience the deep and personal love you have for each and every one of us.  Open our hearts wide so that we may receive your love and all that you want to give us more fully.  Thank you for showing us your love through the people in our lives.  May we see a glimpse of the love you have for us and be a vessel of your love for others.  Lead us to a deeper encounter with your heart.  Amen.

Have you ever had someone ask you how you were and your response was, “I’m busy.  Good, but busy.”   or something along those lines?  We fill our schedules and spend every waking hour doing things to the point of feeling like there is not enough time in the day.  For many of us, from the time we wake up to the time we go to sleep, we spend so much of our time going and doing that we rarely have time for just being.  Jesus calls us to come to Him and rest. 
 
I don’t know about you, but when I find myself in a season of busyness, my prayer life is the first thing to go.  Wake up, go to work, come home, go to any meetings, events or other commitments we have, make and eat dinner, do a few miscellaneous things, get ready for bed.  Maybe you say a quick prayer to thank God for the day or read a brief reflection.  With the exhaustion and tiredness the day brings, it’s easy for Jesus to be pushed to the side, our efforts lacking.  We can quickly find ourselves trapped in this cycle.  Why is it so easy to find time to open up Facebook or Instagram but more difficult to open up scripture or a prayer journal?  Why do we have the time to see what everyone on Twitter is saying but no time to hear what Christ is saying?

I think we often find ourselves so tired from our regular, daily routines that we forget how much we really need Jesus.  Scrolling endlessly through social media after a long day at work seems so relaxing.  It is that never-ending scrolling and searching that we can find ourselves more exhausted and restless.  It leaves us unsatisfied and wanting more.  Social media can definitely be used for good.  We can use it to stay connected with family and friends, watch videos on topics of our faith, read reflections and find inspiration, and much more.  Social media does not have to be something that hinders our faith.  It can be something that helps.  Social media, Netflix, or whatever other things take up our time are not bad.  However, the key is to remember and know that we need Jesus always and especially in the midst of our busyness, exhaustion, and restlessness.  He alone can give us the rest we so desperately need.

In the times where we find ourselves too busy and needing rest, may our prayer be:
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Jesus, it is only you who can give us the rest we need.  Help us to take time to be still so that we can listen to your voice.  Allow us to hear you amid the busy, loud, and quickly moving world around us.  As we fill our days with activities and commitments, may we do it all for your glory and to make you known.  Give us the desire to take time for silence and stillness.  Take our restless hearts and set them on fire for you.  Amen.

Last week I was listening to a podcast and they were talking about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C.S. Lewis.  They were discussing the part where a character is about to meet Aslan the lion, who represents Jesus in the book.  When talking about Aslan, one of the characters responds, “Who said anything about being safe?  Of course he isn’t safe.  But he’s good.”  A few days later, this same exact line came up in my Bible study.  Coincidence or not, over the last few days, this line has kept coming back to me.  Jesus isn’t safe.  But he’s good.

In this context, “safe” is not referred to as the opposite of harm.  Because of course, Jesus never does anything to hurt us.  In this context, “not safe” means uncomfortable, out of our control, challenging, unpredictable, adventurous, and the list goes on.  Jesus is all of these things.  When we choose to live for Christ and give Him everything we have, we are not promised a life of safety and comfort.  We are asked to give up certain activities, make changes in our lifestyles, offer up pain and suffering, and ultimately surrender our lives to Him.  This is hard. And scary.  And it’s a life-long process.  But it is so good.  Every time we take a small step in the right direction, we can see Christ’s goodness and He reveals to us how He alone satisfies.  The path will not always be smooth and easy though.

We will be called to do things we might not want to do or things that we are hesitant about and things that are outside of our comfort zones.  We will be asked to do things we would have never thought of on our own.  These things, big and small, that we are asked to do reveal God’s goodness and draw us closer to Him.  They also help us strive for holiness.  Have you ever experienced God putting something on your heart but all you wanted to do was ignore it, brush it away, or pretend that it wasn’t there?  Or maybe you’ve experienced God calling you to do something but have feared what would happen if you said “yes.”  

God calls all of us to serve Him in different ways each and every day.  Maybe he’s calling you to share your faith with students by volunteering as a religion teacher.  Maybe you’re being asked to give a talk at a retreat.  You might be called to go on a mission trip or volunteer with a charitable organization.  You could be called to serve as a missionary, start a different career, or to talk to that new person you see at mass.  A few months ago, I was talking to a friend and she said something really profound.  “The scariest words we can pray are ‘Jesus, make your desires my desires and your will my will.’  But this prayer is the greatest and best thing we could pray.”  Following Jesus into the unknown can be scary.  Once we take those steps, we will find joy and fulfillment we can’t find anywhere else and see that He is good.
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It would be so much easier to stay sitting on our couches with a blanket, some ice cream, and a good movie (There is nothing wrong with enjoying these good things).  But we are being called to get out there and serve Him and follow Him with everything we have.  We will have to walk through deep and sometimes treacherous waters.  It won’t be safe.  But it will be good because Christ is with us and He is so good.