Question of the Week - The Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God
Many months ago, I wrote of a little Lenten practice inspired by the Jewish tradition of berakah. Many Jews make it a practice to offer at least one hundred berakah, or “prayers of blessing” each day, using words we hear echoed in our Eucharistic Prayer: “Blessed are you, Lord God.” Their prayers might be as simple as, “Blessed are you, Lord God, for the gift of a new day” or “Blessed are you, Lord God, for the gift of electricity and the lamps that provide me with light when evening falls.”
It would be easy to dismiss the year 2020 as a year that seemed somewhat short of a blessing. The pandemic changed and challenged us, upended daily life as we knew it, forced the cancellation of plans and celebrations, and took the lives of many of our loved ones. We look back and wonder, “Where was God in the midst of all of this?”
Perhaps, in answer to the question, we could spend this week offering our berakah, our “prayers of praise” for the blessings of 2020. Doing so might help us remember that God has been and is right here, blessing us, loving us, providing for us, and leading us on our way.
Thus, I will begin. “Blessed are you, Lord God, for extra time with my husband. Blessed are you, Lord God, for longer conversations with friends. Blessed are you, Lord God, for time to create, read, and watch good movies. Blessed are you, Lord God, for more time to pray. Blessed are you, Lord God, for long rides on sunny Sunday afternoons. Blessed are you, Lord God, for the gift of a neighbor who wiped down our door handles and stair rails every day. Blessed are you, Lord God, for meaningful work. Blessed are you, Lord God, for the gift of our health. Blessed are you, Lord God, for time to try new recipes and the chances to share our favorite creations with friends.”
As we face the new year of 2021, I pray upon you the beautiful words of today’s First Reading (see Numbers 6:22-27): “The LORD bless and keep you! The LORD let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you! The LORD look upon you kindly and give you peace!”
Question of the Week, November 29, 2020, First Sunday of Advent, Year B
Happy New Year, everyone!
In the days and months we have spent working from and going to school at home, wearing our masks, and keeping our distance from each other, it has been easy to lose all sense of time. However, here we are, on the first day of the new Church year.
New years of any kind invite us to look ahead. New calendar pages are ready to be filled with things to celebrate, select dates we want to remember, and appointments to keep. New years are also times to think about new goals and hopes for ourselves, inspiring new year resolutions. As we continue to wait for the vaccine and life to take on a more familiar look and feel, doing so may seem pointless or a waste of time. Nevertheless, our question for this week invites us to reflect on our relationship with God, a relationship that is not limited by outward circumstances and restrictions.
This first day of the new Church year is a beautiful day to put ourselves into the Gospel story (see Mark 13:33-37) and to ask ourselves these questions: What is the work God is calling me to do? Is that the work I am doing with my life, my talents, and my treasure right now, today? After answering those questions honestly, take time to sit in the quiet and ask God to show you what his plan is for you this Advent season and at this time in your life. Consider what changes you may need to make to align your life with what you hear the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart. For example, do you need to spend more intentional time in prayer? Do you need to take more time to listen to and encourage others? Is there a parish-wide or community-wide Advent/Christmas “call to action” to which you need to respond?
Happy New Year, everyone! No matter the minute, the hour, or the day, may God find each of us doing the work he has called us to do.
Question of the Week - November 15, 2020, 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
“Well,” I find myself often saying to friends, “What a time we are living in!” Moreover, would you believe I retired amid these pandemic months? Indeed, what a time! I was so looking forward to joining classes at the senior center, taking part in the Friday work mornings at the parish, and meeting other quilters through membership in the local quilt guild. However, those parts of life have seemingly come to a halt.
On the other hand, during these most unusual months, I have thought much about talents that were a vital part of my young adult life before my ministry career, and family commitments became significant focuses of my time. One of my strong talents was writing music for children and retreat and parish mission work. Both retirement and this pandemic time have provided me with the space to rediscover and honor that talent. I have begun to hear the beginnings of many new songs in my heart. While I never lost the talent and faithfully used the talent these many years, I know that this is a time to focus on this talent more substantively.
For me, that is one of the invitations of today’s Gospel (Matthew 25:14-20). God has given each of us talents. He asks us to invest them in ways that bring about a significant and life-changing return for the kingdom. With all of its challenges, this most unusual year is also a season of opportunity to reclaim, develop, and dream new ways to use our talents to bless, heal, and rest our world.
In the words of Max Lucado, “You were born prepacked. God looked at your entire life, determined your assignment, and gave you the tools to do the job.”
Those tools are our talents! May we invest and use them well.
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
Question of the Week - 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Throughout the pandemic weeks and months, a close friend and I committed to read together a spiritual book and to send each other our daily reflections on the readings. We chose Macrina Wiederkehr’s The Flowing Grace of Now (Sorin Books, © 2019). Each week we are given a Scripture to ponder and suggestions for focusing our prayer and reflection.
As I considered this week’s question, I returned to Week Nine of the book, in which my friend and I reflected on Luke 13:10-17 (Cure of a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath). Invited to think about the things that bend and break us, Wiederkehr suggests; resentments that crowd out forgiveness, fear that stifles love, indifference that stifles passion, suspicion that dampens trust, selfishness that inhibits generosity, jealousy that dims hospitality, greed that stifles gratitude, and anxiety that shrouds joy. It strikes me that each phrase highlights something that impedes and something that is a sign of cooperation in bringing about the kingdom.
Today’s Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43) is full of behaviors that impede the coming of the kingdom. The lack of loyalty, theft, greed, hatred, and even murder impede the bountiful harvest the landowner desired. He had chosen tenants he should not have trusted. There are simply no signs of cooperation! However, today’s Second Reading (Philippians 4:6-9), one of my favorite New Testament passages, provides some foundations of cooperation as it invites us to pray, give thanks, and to seek what is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, gracious, excellent, and worthy of praise.
Where do we find ourselves on the spectrum of impeding and cooperating with God, and with the building of God’s kingdom? This week, draw upon the wisdom of Macrina Wiederkehr and Saint Paul. Pray for the strength and grace to cooperate with God, who is always seeking trustworthy tenants for the vineyard he has planted.
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
Question of the Week, Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
Matthew 15:21-28
Several years ago, I served as music minister of a merged parish whose members were African-American, Hispanic, Italian, and Polish. Each culture brought to the table a variety of feasts, celebrations, traditions, and—of course—music, that invited growth in awareness and understanding.
At that parish, I first explored the wealth of bilingual psalmody and music that engaged voices and hearts. I learned to sing “Silent Night” in Polish and Italian. And there we sang the spiritual “I’ll Be Singing Up There” as the Song of Farewell for a beloved mother-figure to many and “Good News, the Chariot’s a’Comin” at the funeral Mass for Beulah, a long-time choir member who, at the end of her life, had no recognition of who I was, but could still join me in singing her alto part to “Amazing Grace.”
And faith was shared at table, as Erlinda invited Michael and me to a Guadalupe feast of tamales, and Romie and Jesse introduced us to the rich and flavorful mole. Faith was shared at the table of Bobbie, who could cook fried chicken and greens to perfection, and at the family sausage-making gathering hosted by Andy and Floyd. All of these families worked together to make any parish dinner a tasty celebration of culture and community.
As I think about our friends today, and all that Michael and I learned from them, the sixth verse of “Where Charity and Love Prevail” comes to mind: No race nor creed can love exclude if honored be God’s name; Our family embraces all whose Father is the same.
May we continue the work of peace and justice, welcoming all to our tables, until these words are true in our lives and in our world.
This small book, Catholic Prayers and Practices including The Order of Mass, contains traditional practices and prayers that unite us as Catholics. It is designed to support you in your faith life, and it can assist you in helping the younger members of our Church learn, grow and live as active members of the Catholic community.
This resource can be used for private, family or communal prayer. The Order of Mass section incorporates the language of the revised Roman Missal. Share the faith by giving copies of this book to others. In this way you are sharing in the ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who called us to be his disciples and to share the Good News with all people.
First of all, if you are now able to worship with your parish community, isn’t it wonderful to be able to once again be a part of the procession to the Table of the Lord and receive the Body and Blood of Christ? What a Lent and Easter fast we’ve had from this most precious gift of Jesus! This solemnity is most certainly a day to express our gratitude to him for the lifegiving gifts of his Body and his Blood.
Even though we have come through or are still coming through a long fast from the Eucharist, this is also a day to reflect on the many ways we have been fed by the bread of others’ generosity, thoughtfulness, prayers, and support during the pandemic. I think of three friends who sewed hundreds of masks for healthcare workers, chemotherapy patients, and clinic staff members. And there’s the crafty friend who made joyful Easter bunnies, delivering them to friends’ doorsteps to bring Easter cheer.
A new friend in Arkansas wrote that in her neighborhood, which is mostly Catholic, neighbors agreed on a time to stand in their driveways and pray the rosary for the protection of the world. In a southern community, members of a Baptist church stood on their front porches on Easter Sunday and sang “Amazing Grace.” That same morning, we opened our door to find a container of dark chocolate-covered pretzels on our doormat.
Things may still seem unsettled, frightening, or discouraging, but all around us are hopeful and uplifting examples of generosity and goodness. On this solemnity, let’s pause and ask Jesus how he is asking us to continue to “be bread”—be encouragement, be light, be of service, and be the presence of Christ to others.
Christ has no body now but yours. No hands, no feet on earth but yours. Yours are the eyes through which he looks compassion on this world. Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good. Yours are the hands through which he blesses all the world. Yours are the hands, yours are the feet, yours are the eyes, you are his body. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. Saint Teresa of Jesus (of Ávila)
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on the topics of prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. In addition, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.
Helping Kids Live Their Faith
This book offers numerous ideas and opportunities to help children understand the importance of carrying out the Church's mission of serving their families, the community, and parish.
This small book provides practical application through service projects to model ways to live and act in faith.
I am blessed to have opportunities to share the Good News throughout the country. This past Advent and Lent I traveled to Barling, Arkansas to co-lead two missions for Sacred Heart of Mary Parish (in Barling) and Saints Sabina and Mary Parish (in Jenny Lind).
What made sharing the Good News such a joy was the openness of the parishioners—openness to the Good News my preaching partner and I shared; openness to the stories and songs we offered; openness to the prayers and rituals we led; and openness to setting aside four nights to come together to grow in faith.
One Thursday, the most popular and athletic eighth-grade boy in the school came to choir. I tried not to look shocked, but I was most surprised that Jonathan joined us. After all, according to his classmates, boys singing in the choir just wasn’t cool. After choir, I thanked Jonathan for joining us, and I asked him what inspired him to come to choir. He simply said, “I didn’t think Joshua should be alone.”
After those particular mission travels, I reflected on how the hospitality and welcome of the parishioners gave me the strength and encouragement to share the Good News. My preaching partner’s flexibility and thoughtfulness freed me to use my gifts of song and storytelling in creative, engaging ways. And the parish’s thoughtfulness regarding our comfort created the environment my preaching partner and I needed for rest, prayer, and our daily work.
My first Sunday back at my home parish, as I spent time before Mass in prayer, I thought of my own parish’s priest and deacon. I know from experience that it is not always easy to share the Good News. Sometimes people are open to it; sometimes it feels as if ears and hearts are closed.
By the next Sunday, stay-at-home and shelter-in-place orders were in effect, and churches were closed. One afternoon, my husband and I drove to the parish, parked in the parking lot, and prayed for our pastor, deacon, parish staff, and parishioners. We did the same at 3 PM on Good Friday. For even in this challenging time, our parish leaders—and most Church leaders—are finding ways to encourage us with the Good News and to focus our attention on the power and the glory of God. Let’s encourage them in return through our expressions of thanks and by our continued prayers.
I’m one of those strange people who takes notes during Mass.
I long ago realized that certain thoughts and words jump out at me during every liturgy, and I don’t want to forget what they are. Sometimes they come from prayers I hear every day, other times they are from homilies.
One of today’s thoughts was, “One can only understand the breath of God in silence.”
As I reflected on that, it brought to mind a recent incident while caring for my grandsons. I explained to the two-and-a- half-year-old that I was going to watch church (his understanding of Mass) on the computer while he was playing next to me. He nodded and went on playing, until the cantor started to sing.
Every time the young man began a hymn or sang a response, my grandson would stop playing and turn the computer screen so he could see who was singing. Then he went back to his creative work.
When the cantor began the Gloria, I started humming along. My grandson looked up from the art he was creating with glass hearts on the sofa and said with a shy smile, “Be quiet.”
I suppressed a laugh, accepted his gentle chastisement with good humor, and stopped humming.
Obviously satisfied, he handed me a few pink and red glass hearts and went back to work.
Kids are great teachers, if we take the time to listen to them. They’re like little God-taps on the shoulder, trying to get our attention for our own good and for theirs.
Adults are not the only ones who benefit from quiet times with God. While we understand that a variety of food is necessary to provide a healthy diet for our children, it seems we still have to learn that, in addition to the noisy hustle and bustle our children encounter every day, we need to include times of quiet and silence in the mix for the health of their spirits.
It helps to embrace silence, not as a void where nothing exists, but as a well from which everything is possible; where self-discipline, creativity, and prayer are nurtured.
In the evening of the same day my grandson asked me to be quiet, we went to his room to get ready for bed. Standing near the window, he turned around to me and said, “Listen!” We both became silent for a few seconds until a melodic trill could be heard coming through the screen. His eyes widened and he smiled, like he knew a secret.
“What is that?!” I asked.
“Those are frogs,” he shared. “They hide in bushes.”
“I love frogs!” I told him. Again he smiled, “We go find them.”
I had to explain that it was night and we would have a hard time finding them in the dark, so instead we told stories about what the frogs might be doing out there, perhaps talking to their frog friends and planning to go hunting for food, or swimming.
“Who made frogs?” I asked at the end of our story. “God,” he replied quickly, looking at me like it was a silly question.
I’m grateful for the moments of silence we’ve been able to build into a day. They can lead to story time and God-talk, both very important ingredients in the recipe for a good day.
Many of you are familiar with the Little Black Book for Lent and the Little White Book for Easter. They were the inspiration of the late Bishop Ken Untener.
In his last years of ministry, Bishop Ken realized that the people in his Diocese—the sheep of his flock—needed a shepherd. He so strongly felt this that he reoriented the focus of his ministry to let go of some of his administrative duties in order to focus on shepherding the people. Out of his desire that the sheep of his flock take time for daily prayer and to grow in their knowledge of the Catholic faith, he came up with the idea of the little books—tools that invited his flock to spend six minutes a day in reading and prayer.
Bishop Ken’s example of shepherding could inspire each of us this Easter season.
First, Bishop Ken took the time to get to know the flock in his care. Who is in our care at this point in time? Children? Aging parents? Friends? Coworkers? Neighbors? Those in our community who are unemployed and in need?
Second, he identified a need. What are the needs of those in our care? The gift of time? Food, money, or material goods to help others recover from the effects of the pandemic? When gathering restrictions are lifted, an invitation to become part of a Bible study, a book club, a ministry, or a circle of support?
Third, he reoriented his priorities to address the greatest need of those in his care. Where might we need to change our priorities or our routines in order to best shepherd the sheep of the flock God has asked us to tend? Recent weeks have certainly provided us with time to think about our lives and priorities. Where are our thoughts and reflections leading us?
As the Great Fifty Days continue, how will you follow Jesus’ example by being a shepherd who tends for the sheep of your flock?
Where have you recognized Jesus present with you in recent days? A chance invitation to a fall concert led my husband and me to join our community chorus, where we are once again singing Bach, Handel, Mozart, and other works that challenge and engage us. We feel Jesus present in the choir, which is directed by a faith-filled and extremely talented woman who is welcoming and inspiring. And, although the coronavirus pandemic forced the cancel of recent rehearsals and a spring concert, we look forward to being together with this community once again.
In today’s Gospel (Luke 24:13-35), the disciples recognize Jesus in the breaking of the bread. This Bread of Life we know as the Eucharist, the Real Presence of Jesus, has many names. In the Church’s Litany of the Holy Eucharist, Jesus is named as the bread of heaven, the bread of life, the bread of thanksgiving, life-giving bread, holy manna, new covenant, food for everlasting life, food for our journey, holy banquet, medicine of immortality, and pledge of eternal glory.
As I grow older, my own understanding and appreciation of the Eucharist is as life-giving bread and food for our journey. Especially during the recent cancellation of masses, I have come to realize more and more my hunger for the Word, the Eucharist, and the company of those in my parish community. When we are together to celebrate, as I process to the Table of the Eucharist, and even now that we are apart from each other for a time, I pray for the people who are normally in procession with me. I pray that their hungers will be satisfied and their wounds will be healed. I pray that all of us are strengthened to keep moving forward to the kingdom, knowing that we are loved by God and that we are never alone on the road.
This week, whether or not you are able to physically join your parish community for the celebration of the Eucharist, take time to think about your own understanding and appreciation of it. Pray to Jesus using one of the titles from the Litany of the Holy Eucharist. And be mindful of the many ways Jesus truly is present to you.