“You have all my heart.  All that is broken.  I surrender all.  My life into Your hands.  You have all my love.  All that I’m holding.  I surrender all. My life into your hands.”  These lyrics from Matt Maher’s song “Into Your Hands” have been really speaking to me recently.  We so often think we are in control of our lives.  What if we fully surrendered our lives into Jesus’ hands?

​We like to think we can plan out everything in our lives.  We can make decisions on our own and choose what we want to happen.  The idea we have that we’re in control is all just an illusion.  It has always been and will always be God who holds the control of our lives.  He knows what He’s doing, even when we think our ideas are better.

We often spend time stressing about the daily occurrences in our lives.  Everything needs to happen a certain way, or else the world feels as if it is ending.  We try to do everything on our own and in our own ways.  People often grasp tightly onto the things in their lives that are perfect, or maybe what they perceive to be perfect.  As long as we hold onto these things very tightly, we will not lose them because we’re in control, right?  Maybe it’s that perfect job. Maybe it’s a relationship or our health.  It might be as simple as your daily routine.  What happens when these things change or are taken away?  We will be left lost and searching.

There is uncertainty in life.  It is hard for most of us to face the uncertainties.  We want to know where we’re going, what we’re doing, and when it will happen.  We cannot obsess over different situations or let ourselves be consumed by fear of the unknown.  We think we know what is best for ourselves and we wander around holding onto all the things that we think we have control of.  We need to open our hands and let go of everything we are so tightly clenching.  We need to hand it all over to Jesus.

Sometimes it seems as if we put Jesus in a corner, a corner of our lives.  We give Him certain parts of our lives and leave Him out of the other parts.  “He can be in this part, but not the others,” we tell ourselves, almost as if we are putting Him inside of a box.  We sometimes try to separate our faith life from every other part of our lives.  The problem with this is Jesus cannot just be a part of our lives.  He needs to be our whole life.  Through the joys and sorrows, tears, and laughter, good times and suffering, we need to give it all to Jesus.

Jesus wants our whole hearts and our whole lives.  He knows what we need and what is good for us.  What if we stopped trying to figure everything out on our own and just let Him guide us through each day?  Life is not always easy.  We will often be uncomfortable, but Jesus will never abandon us.  My prayer for today is that we would surrender all our lives and all that we’re holding into His hands.

My birthday was on Saturday.  Over the past few days, I reflected on how blessed I am to have made it to 24.  To me, 24 years seems like a long time, yet I am amazed at how quickly the time has gone.  I have grown and learned a lot along the way but there is so much more to learn and so many more ways to grow.  Through my reflecting, the main thought that kept occurring to me is that life is truly a gift.  Sure, most of us know that life is a gift but do we truly appreciate it?  Do we wake up each day just trying to survive and get by or do we wake up, grateful to be alive and breathing and ready to fulfill our mission?

God has given us the precious gift of life.  How do we treat the gift of life that has been entrusted to us?  I think we often wish time away.  Maybe we go from day to day, desperately grasping for the weekend.  We might tell ourselves every week that we just have to make it through this week.  Other times, we try too hard to fast-forward to the future, failing to focus on the present moment we are in.  Whether we are experiencing big moments or the small, ordinary moments of each day, we are invited to live life to the full.  Jesus came so that we would have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10).

Are we following God’s will for our lives and fulfilling our mission and purpose?  I think sometimes we can get so caught up in discovering what this is that we become overwhelmed.  Rather than being consumed by this huge question, we can scale it down to a smaller level.  Someone wise once told me that we should wake up each day and ask, “Lord, what is your will for me today?”

I want to wake up each day and ask God to open up my eyes to see His blessings more clearly.  I want to open up my heart more deeply to love in a greater capacity.  I want to ask God how I can serve Him better and love Him more than the day before.  Whether you are 14, 24, 54, 74, or somewhere in between, your life is a gift and has purpose.  You are a gift to the world.  You are a blessing to others in a way that no one else can be.

Lord, we are your servants.  Help us to seek your will each day.  Help us to recognize that our lives are the most precious gift you have given us.  Give us the grace to say “yes” to you so that we can fulfill our mission to serve you and love you.  May we always remember that, whether we are “young” or “old”, to be alive and breathing is enough.

A few years ago I came across a Word of the Year Generator that was created by a Catholic speaker and author.  A few days ago, I once again came across this word generator and decided to have a random word generated, just for fun.  The word that came up was “still.”  Curious about what other words would come up, I decided to generate a second word.  The second word that came up was “presence.”  While I had no intentions of having a “word of the year” and did not plan on giving much thought to the random word(s) generated, I quickly realized that I needed to see these two words, still and presence, as an invitation and a goal to work toward, especially if I want to experience more depth and growth in my spiritual life.

Most of us, from an early age, are taught that Jesus is always with us wherever we go and in whatever we do.  It’s easy for us to acknowledge this bit of truth in our minds.  Of course Jesus is always with us, we remind ourselves.  However, the real work we have to do is let this truth enter into the deepest parts of our hearts.  Everything changes when we know in our hearts that He is with us.  

How can we let this knowledge go from our heads to our hearts?  It starts with taking time regularly to recognize His presence.  This can mean reading scripture, devotionals, or other spiritual material, journaling, or going to adoration where He is present in the Eucharist.  All of these actions involve one key factor: being still.  We will never be able to fully know the presence of Christ if we do not take time to be still.  It is when we are still and open to hearing Him speak to us that we will be fully aware of His presence.  When we are fully aware of Christ’s presence, we are fully aware of His love.

​Maybe it was just a coincidence that in a random word generator, the two words I got were “still” and “presence.”  Nonetheless, there could not have been two words that go together more perfectly.  While it was a random and mindless activity, I know that having these two words generated is exactly what I needed to renew the habit of sitting still in the presence of Christ, particularly in adoration.  As many people might be thinking of ways to better themselves throughout this year, maybe you are being called to be still and become more aware of the presence of Jesus in your life.  How will you take time to be still in His presence this week?

A couple of months ago, I was at mass for a funeral when, during communion, I saw someone take the host and discreetly slip it into a coat pocket.  Ever since I witnessed this, it has been floating around in the back of my mind.  Unfortunately, this incident was not the first or second time I noticed this at a mass, but the third time within the last few years.  I think about this often.  I think about how I failed to say or do anything.  It has left me wondering what one should do in this situation.  I may have been unsure of how to react in this situation.  However, one thing I am certain of is that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith.  Reflecting on this thought makes me aware of a rather large problem.  If the Eucharist is the central part of our faith, why are there so many Catholics who fail to believe or don’t understand?

If Jesus is who He says He is (and He is), then it changes everything.  Being able to receive the Eucharist, body, blood, soul, and divinity of Jesus is a gift that blesses us with many graces and transforms us like nothing else can.  Of course, it takes faith to believe Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.  Thankfully, we are not left stranded.  The Church’s teaching on this subject is rooted deeply in scripture.  In addition to scripture, there are stories about saints and their experiences, books and documents we can read, and even documented Eucharistic miracles that can help deepen and strengthen our faith.  Turning to scripture is usually the best place to begin.

About five years ago, I was preparing a talk on what the Mass meant to me for the 12th grade confirmation class.  As I was digging deeper into different sources to find points for my talk, I was blown away by just how much evidence for the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist could be found throughout scripture.  While I found a lot of information throughout different books and chapters, the first passage that I went to and that really stood out to me was John Chapter 6, also known as The Bread of Life Discourse.  I had remembered how much that passage had resonated with me in high school, as it had been a significant part of my faith and strengthened my belief in the Real Presence.  I focused much of my talk around this passage to emphasize to the class that the Eucharist was not merely a symbol of Jesus but instead, His body and blood.  This scripture passage is a great one to reflect upon often and a great place to turn to regularly to know and understand the truth.

I often wonder how many Catholics do not know and understand the truth, specifically about the Eucharist.  I fear that many Catholics receive Jesus at Mass, believing that what they are receiving is just a little circular wafer that symbolizes Jesus’ body.  What about all of the Catholics who do not even know what the Church teaches about the Eucharist?  What about those who choose not to attend mass regularly because they do not understand what, or rather Who, is present?  

The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, not just for some Catholics but for all Catholics.  This teaching needs to be prioritized and discussions on it should occur frequently .  After second grade, this teaching cannot fall through the cracks.  We must help everyone to understand this teaching so they will believe Jesus is truly present.  It is only Christ who will put this belief in people’s hearts, but we can help open the door.

The Eucharist is spiritual nourishment.  As St. John Paul II once said, “From the Eucharist comes strength to live the Christian life and zeal to share that life with others.”  My prayer today is that we would find strength in the Eucharist, always knowing the love Jesus has for us and sharing it with others so that they too would come to believe.

“For nothing will be impossible for God” (Luke 1:37).  This verse we heard in this weekend’s Gospel is so simple yet so profound.  Do we really believe it?  There are no limitations to what God can do.  What if we truly believed this and lived fully in this truth?

How often do we see a certain situation in our lives or dream up an idea only to then be filled with doubt because it seems impossible?  How many times do we feel like giving up on something because we believe that it simply cannot happen?  Oftentimes, our human minds put limitations on who God is and what He can and wants to do in our lives.

What about each of us?  God wants to do the impossible in us and through us.  God used Mary to do great things and He wants to use us too.  How often do we doubt God’s ability to use us in big ways?  We think of all the things that we cannot do.  We’re not holy enough, not strong enough, too young, or too old.  The list goes on and on.  When these doubts start to sneak in, this is when we have to remember that, for God, nothing is impossible.  When we are open to God, He will use us for His glory.  When we allow Him to fully come into our lives, there are no limits to what He will do.  

God is mighty and powerful.  When we move past our limited thoughts and ideas and let God in, He will do great things and work in us in ways we never thought were possible.  We need to have faith and pray boldly and in big ways.  It is then that we will remember that He is good and nothing is impossible for Him. 

My sister got married this weekend.  The moment my now brother-in-law Erik saw Sarah as she was walking down the aisle, he began to cry.  It’s not hard to realize that he was overcome with emotion as he was struck by the beauty of his bride.  I myself was in awe of how beautiful the wedding Mass was.  The music was beyond beautiful thanks to the vocalist and the pianist , the homily was deep and reflective, and it was easy to be fully aware of God’s presence as he joined together the couple in the sacrament.  The whole day of celebration was simply beautiful and it made me stop and reflect on the topic of beauty.  Thinking about the day, I have realized that the beauty we experienced was a reflection of God.  The day pointed to the existence of God who has made us all in His image.  The beauty that we see and experience in the big moments and in the ordinary days point us to God and help us to better see and understand who He is.

It’s not hard to recognize beauty in our world.  It usually stands out and strikes us as something truly amazing.  We experience beautiful things on a regular basis.  Just stop and think.  We have all seen a sunrise or sunset that we could not take our eyes off of.  Then there is nature.  The creation around us is filled with beauty.  What about music?  I’m sure we have all been moved by hearing someone with an amazing talent sing or play an instrument, or by hearing a particular song.  Maybe you’ve heard a deep prayer or a homily that touched you.  Have you ever read a reflection that inspired you or a passage that spoke to your heart?  We have all experienced beauty in these ways.  Do we realize that every beautiful thing we experience is from God?  When we see beauty, do we see God?  Beauty draws us closer to God and tells us who He is.

Our world craves beauty.  People often have different ideas of beauty and perceive different things as beautiful, which suggests that beauty is subjective.  However, our world has a warped idea of beauty.  If something is not good and true, it is not beautiful.  God is the source of all beauty and He is beauty Himself.  This is why we have beautiful churches to worship Him.  Even non-Christians can recognize the beauty of a cathedral, appreciating the art and architecture.  Each and every person desires beauty.  This is because we all desire God, whether we realize it or not.

​Beauty is all around us.  We need to seek it out and allow it to pierce our souls.  When we seek beauty, we are seeking God.  When we experience something or someone beautiful, we experience God.  My prayer for you today is that you would be able to experience the beauty that surrounds us and recognize that God is the reason for that beauty.  May you know that whenever you are touched by beauty, you are touched by God.

You know that feeling when you are putting hand sanitizer on and it reveals any paper cuts that you did not know you had?  It stings for a little while and there is nothing you can do to make it go away.  You just have to wait it out for a bit.  These wounds that come to the surface and are exposed by the hand sanitizer make me think of the wounds and weaknesses we all have in our lives.  However, unlike the paper cut situation, we do not have to just wait it out.  We can go to Jesus.  He is the divine healer who wants to fix our wounds and take away whatever is hurting our relationship with Him.

​Sometimes, there are areas of weakness and sin in our lives that we may or may not be aware of.  Once these areas are revealed or brought to our attention, it can sting.  We might feel exposed or dragged down.  At the same time, we often try to hide these wounds deep inside and hold onto them as long as possible.  We allow ourselves to be burdened by them.  It does not have to be like this.

Jesus sees our hearts and knows what we hold deep inside.  He knows what is weighing us down and also what we try to conceal.  He knows what is challenging us and what sorrows we may be experiencing.  Through His mercy and compassion, He is ready to give us the healing we need before we even ask.  There are so many ways that Jesus can work in these areas of our hearts.  Going to confession is the best way to remove whatever is hindering us from our relationship with God.  When we acknowledge our weaknesses and what we have done wrong, we can start fresh and our souls will feel much lighter.  We can also spend time in silence and prayer to allow God to reveal the wounds that we have.  It might hurt to sit with these, but we do not have to sit alone.  He will pour his mercy, love, and compassion into these wounded, weak, and broken parts and bring life to these areas.

On the outside, we might act like we have it all together.  However, we are invited to look deeper within ourselves and examine the areas of our hearts and souls that need some strengthening.  My prayer for you today is that you would let Jesus expose the wounds in your heart and allow him to reveal His love to you in those parts.

Advent has finally begun.  That means it’s basically Christmas already, right?  Well, not so fast.  Thinking about this new liturgical season, I started reflecting on past years.  Reflecting on my preparation during Advent in previous years, I realize that my efforts were quite weak.  I usually had good intentions but found that the season passed by in a flash.  I would maybe pick up one of those little Advent reflection books and passively read through the reflections for each day, often missing days along the way.  I would get to Christmas and not much would be different.  To be honest, the four weeks leading up to Christmas for me probably did not look much different than those of non-Christians.  This Advent, I want to be more intentional than ever and truly enter into this beautiful season that we have been given.  Let us not get sucked into the culture’s ways.

​Everywhere you look, it seems as if Christmas is already here and has been for awhile.  Stores have been decked out with Christmas decorations for several months.  Christmas music is on the radio.  People are trying to plan the perfect Christmas parties and find the best gifts.  Our culture seems to jump into the Christmas festivities so early and quickly that by the time December 25th comes, they are wiped out and sick of it all, ready to take down all the decorations the next day, stop the celebrations, and move on to the next thing.  I will admit, I have already watched my fair share of Hallmark Christmas movies this year.  However, are we willing to fully embrace the season of Advent and live in a way the world does not understand?

The world does not like to wait.  Our culture is one of instant gratification and fulfilling personal pleasures and desires.  This time of the year, our world is telling us to go constantly, stopping for nothing and no one.  We are told to embrace the busyness and jump right into the hustle and bustle.  There are places to be and things to do and we must hurry to fit it all in.  We want all the noise and excitement but not the silence.  We want the gifts and parties but not the emptiness and waiting.  We want Christmas but not Christ.

What if we spent these next four weeks of Advent by embracing all that the season has to offer?  We are called to slow down and enter into the waiting and anticipation.  We are called to deeper reflection, prayer, and silence.  We can take time to listen more closely to what God is speaking to us.  We need to examine our hardened hearts and work on removing all the distractions and attachments.  We need to become aware of the stirring and longing in our hearts and recognize the only one who can fulfill the deepest desires.  Advent should not be treated like a to-do list of tasks we have to get done before Christmas. We are not perfect and should not become discouraged.  Advent is an invitation to prepare our hearts and minds for Christ.

Jesus wants nothing more than to come into your heart and be close to you.  Will you take the next four weeks of Advent to prepare room for Him?  Will you spend time waiting, praying, reflecting, and resting?  My prayer is that you will be able to slow down, enter the stillness and silence, and prepare to receive Christ with joyful hearts.  May you have a blessed Advent!

Driving home from work a few days ago it was completely dark.  Out of nowhere and rather suddenly, there was a big truck driving behind me.  The only reason I paid much attention to this truck was because its headlights were so intense and bright that they were shining onto my mirrors.  This intense light was something I could not miss, even if I wanted to.  This is how it is supposed to be with us as Christians.  We are called to be light in this world and our light should be so bright that others cannot help but notice.  It is when we shine our light that others will see Jesus.

​I remember as a little kid being taught the song “This Little Light of Mine.”  What kid hasn’t sung that song in some type of church setting?  When learning that song, kids are taught that they have a light that they need to share with the world.  As we grow up, the same is true.  We are still called to be a light.  However, as we experience the world around us, there are things that try to extinguish our light.  Other people can try to put out our flames.  Turn on the news or open up social media and it does not take long to see the darkness that exists.  We can easily be consumed and overwhelmed by the violence, hatred, bitterness, and anger that fill our screens on a daily basis.  The world is filled with darkness.  Darkness is simply the absence of light.  As Christians we need to bring the light of Christ to the world around us.

You might think that your little bit of light will not make a difference.  However, that is far from the truth.  Have you ever sat in a completely dark room or space, maybe in church or when the power went out?  As you sit in complete darkness, you light a candle.  That one little flicker of light from the candle makes a big difference.  That one glowing candle that is lit is enough to be able to see.  This is how it is with us.  Just as the candle can light a room that is in darkness and help us see, we as Christians can bring our light and help others see.  It is by our light that others can be guided to Christ, where truth, goodness, and love are found.  All it takes is one small flicker.

We are called to reflect the light of Christ.  Living in the light of Christ is life-giving.  Sharing this light can make all the difference when others’ lights have dimmed.  A question I try to reflect on often is am I allowing Christ to shine through my life?  Am I sharing His light with others?  May we all keep our lights burning so brightly and intensely that others cannot help but notice!

Everyone wants to experience peace.  You have probably heard it said before in remarks such as this;  “Once this happens or when this changes, I will be at peace.”  This is a nice sentiment but it only goes to show that the world does not understand true peace.  It is in scripture that we can begin to understand where we find peace.  In John 14:27 Jesus says “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”  The world’s peace will always fall short.  It is only in Jesus that we can experience true and lasting peace.  

​As we go through our lives, we experience pain, sorrow, suffering, and challenges.  We all have crosses we need to carry.  The world tells us we can only find peace when these difficulties are absent from our lives.  The world gives peace that is temporary because it is only experienced when there are no hardships.  The world’s peace is a peace of good circumstances.  It is brief and fleeting.  Despite the pressures and struggles of life, the gift of peace that comes from Jesus cannot be snatched away by the world.  This peace endures suffering and rejection.  This peace that Jesus offers does not mean that everything in your life is perfect or that you have it all together.  It is trusting that He has everything under control and knowing that we are loved more than we can understand.  It is this inner peace that no trials or suffering can destroy.

There is nothing that compares to the peace of Christ.  It is one of the most valuable gifts that we are given.  We are able to experience this peace daily but it is not easy.  We have to continue to seek it out regularly.  Many things in the world will distract us.  We will be tempted to believe the lies  of the devil and fall victim to despair.  Seeking peace means seeking Christ.  If we focus on Him, we will be able to experience the peace He offers.  There are different things we can do that will help us to receive this gift.  Going to Mass is vital.  Outside of mass, we can make a corner or space for prayer in our homes.  This makes it easier to commit to spending time with Jesus.  We can read scripture and spiritual books.  We can listen to hymns or praise and worship music.  We can spend time in eucharistic adoration.  The list is endless.  Whatever we do, the key is growing closer to Christ, deepening our relationship with Him, and accepting the love He has for us.  This is what will allow us to experience true peace.  It is Christ alone who allows us to experience all of the ups and downs of life and still say, “it is well with my soul.”

The world is crazy, busy, and loud.  We all have challenges and trials to deal with.  We cannot sit back and wait for life to be easy and perfect because that will never happen.  What we can do is run towards Jesus and open our hearts to invite Him in.  It is when we are deeply abiding in Him that we will experience the peace He gives us, and our hearts will not be troubled or afraid.