Earlier this year, when travel was still safe and life was at its usual pace, I traveled to San Antonio to lead a day-long retreat on Mary and the saints. One of the retreat day segments focused on the Communion of Saints: the pilgrims on Earth, the souls in Purgatory, and the saints in Heaven. Together, we are one family of faith caught up in a great procession to the heavenly kingdom, and our mission is to help each other reach our heavenly home.
As we live with the reality and the impact of the coronavirus, living out our shared mission becomes all the more important. What if, each day, we simply looked to our left and our right, before us and behind us, to see who needs help, encouragement, a friend, shelter, and love? What if we reached out a hand to help the struggling and the lost return to or join the great procession? In the words of “The Servant Song” (Richard Gallard): “We are pilgrims on a journey, we are trav’lers on the road; we are here to help each other walk the mile and bear the load.”
Belief in the final resurrection, belief in eternal life with God and the saints and angels in Heaven, puts this short earthly journey and trials such as the current pandemic into perspective. This is not our home. The pain, suffering, and challenges we may face while here are but moments in the span of time. When death separates us from those we love, we are certain in hope that we will one day be reunited in Heaven. This is what motivates us to keep moving forward with others on the journey, striving to make it to that kingdom where our loved ones and all the saints have gone before us are extending their hearts and their hands—praying for us, cheering us on, and leading us home.
I’ve always been fascinated by the story of Jonah and the Whale.
As a child, reading my full-color illustrated book of Bible stories, I was most interested in how Jonah got in the whale and what it might have been like for him sitting in the whale’s belly for three days. I never questioned the veracity of the story because, after all, if God can create a universe, God can certainly arrange for an errant Jonah to have a time-out in a most unusual place.
As I grew older, I thought more about how Jonah, the reluctant prophet, ended up in trouble because he tried to run away from God, and I often thought my life was going in a similar direction. If I didn’t stop disobeying what I knew God was telling me to do, or not to do, I could end up underwater myself.
As a college student, reading the classics, I found myself wondering if Jonah ever felt like Francis Thompson, the English poet who wrote the exquisite poem “The Hound of Heaven,” which describes an unrelenting God pursuing a soul seeking to hide, as a hound relentlessly follows a hare.
As an adult, I have learned that there is more to the story than a man running from God and ending up in the belly of a big fish. The essential element of the story is the “why.”
God had a job for Jonah to do – to preach repentance to the Ninevites, whose reputation for evil was known to God. Jonah didn’t want to be that prophet so he ran from God and tried to sail away to Tarshish. While he slept in the hold of the ship a storm arose and the seas threatened to capsize the boat.
The sailors figured out that Jonah was fleeing from his God, so to appease God they threw Jonah overboard and the storm ceased. But God saved Jonah by providing a big fish that swallowed him and kept him safe for three days – the length of time it took Jonah to repent for running away.
God heard Jonah’s prayers and commanded the fish to spit Jonah up on the shore so Jonah could finally undertake the task God asked of him – to go to Nineveh and preach to the Ninevites so they would change their ways and turn back to God.
Jonah preached and the Ninevites listened. Everyone, including the king, fasted, put on sackcloth and ashes and repented. Scripture says, “When God saw by their actions how they turned from their evil way, he repented of the evil he had threatened to do to them; he did not carry it out.”
And Jonah was angry. His reaction was essentially, “I knew this was going to happen!” Jonah admitted to God this was the “why,” the reason he ran away from God in the first place. He didn’t want God to forgive these enemies of Israel.
Jonah responded to God, “O Lord, is this not what I said while I was still in my own country? This is why I fled at first toward Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, repenting of punishment. So now, LORD, please take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.”
God simply asked, “Are you right to be angry?”
Reflecting on my own life, I realize I had to learn the difference between being angry at others’ bad behavior and being angry at the thought of God treating them with mercy and forgiveness should they repent.
There are times when I am like Jonah, not yet ready to forgive. But with God following on my heels, I may get there eventually.
Following a recent car trip, my daughter-in-law shared a memorable moment she had with one of my granddaughters – a child known for her precocious insights, which she doesn’t hesitate to share.
As they drove past the cemetery, an adult friend told a joke to the two girls. “Why is there a fence around the cemetery?” she asked. After a minute of no responses, she quipped, “Because people are dying to get in!”
The adults had a good laugh in the front seat, but a few minutes later, my young granddaughter said, “Mama, do you remember your grandmother?”
“Of course,” my daughter-in-law replied.
“She’s dead, isn’t she?” asked the seven-year-old.
A moment of silence ensued, recalled my daughter-in-law, noting her daughter’s words weren’t so much a question as a statement; one that was chastising her for laughing at a joke about death.
In her little heart she seemed to understand that the living are still connected to the dead in some way – especially when we have loved them or they us.
“Church tradition has always urged prayer for the dead, in particular by offering the celebration of the Eucharist for them; it is the best spiritual help that we can give to their souls, particularly to the most abandoned ones,” said Pope Francis.
We can enter into that tradition by including a spiritual work of mercy to our Lenten practice – praying for the living and the dead who are all members of the Body of Christ and the Communion of Saints.
Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support others, both those who accompany us on this earthly journey, and those who have died. By praying for the dead we help ourselves to grieve and support them in their new life.
Prayer also expands our hearts, helps us heal broken relationships, even with those who have died, and encourages us to move outside ourselves and our needs in order to focus on the needs of others.
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.
You never know what’s going to send a child into a meltdown.
Last week it was a box of crayons, 16-count to be exact.
My two-year-old grandson dropped it on the floor and we didn’t notice that one rolled under the couch.
I helped him pick them all up and when we were done, one was still missing. I told him not to worry, it was just one crayon. I tried to close the box to put them away and then the tears started. “No!” he exclaimed, attempting to pull the box from my hands.
He was as upset as any two-year-old can get and adamant that we could not close the box without the missing crayon. He felt the incompleteness of it. Just one crayon, but one crayon that counted.
So when I was assigned to write a newspaper article on the census, I found it more than coincidental. The main gist of the story was why it’s important for everyone to participate, and how many faith-based entities are offering programs to educate and assist hard-to-count populations to participate.
I interviewed a number of public officials and program administrators who shared their wisdom and expertise about the process of the census, which is mandated by the U.S. Constitution to take place every 10 years. But one person’s very simple yet profound statement evidenced the bottom line for me.
He said, “The most important reason for everyone to participate in the census is because, as children of God, everyone counts.”
When I hear those words in my head even now, I get choked up, because when I watch the news or even experience, in word and deed, how some of us strive to belittle others, it hurts my heart.
This is not what Jesus taught us. It is not what he prayed for, and I believe “counting out” others would break his heart too. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus laments over Jerusalem, saying, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her young under her wings, but you were unwilling.”
Jesus, fully human and fully divine, expressed a wide range of emotions, including joy, frustration, anger, sadness, and grief. I have to believe that in seeing how we so often treat each other, the Jesus of Scripture would grieve.
Writing an article inevitably leads me to some self-reflection, so It seemed that Lent would be an appropriate time for me to reflect on the question, “Who counts in my life?” beginning with my family and expanding out to my friends, the broader community and other countries. One lesson came from paying attention to the posts I skimmed over on Facebook. It was a hard reality to face.
When you come to the realization that you have a lot of work to do in order to live your faith the way you should, it can be overwhelming and often leads to justification as to why change is not necessary. We may fool ourselves but we certainly can’t fool God.
But where do we start? With the children.
It may be hard for us to make a personal change right away, but we can certainly make sure our children grow up learning that every person has inherent dignity and is loved by God.
Or maybe it is the children who will teach us, with a box of crayons.
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.When my youngest son decided to move from New Jersey to Michigan to make a new start for his life journey, I resigned myself to his decision, but I cried. I would miss him terribly.
Almost a year later, as I began planning for Christmas, I came across a unique pocket compass. I bought it to put in his Christmas stocking and added a little note about always being able to find his way home. I wanted to support him in his decision, but remind him that his family would always be his home.
Unexpectedly, serious back issues forced him to return home where he was able to heal with the expert care of our family chiropractor and the support of the family who loves him. He has been pain-free for almost two years and has moved forward with his life, starting a new job which he loves, finding a new apartment, and being grateful for a new lease on life.
He has learned a lot on his journey, including the realization that Michigan just wasn’t his cup of tea. He shared that he would have returned home within the year even if his back hadn’t caused him such problems.
I thought of the compass and the meaning of returning home.
During his Ash Wednesday homily, Pope Francis recalled, “Jesus said: ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also’ (Mt 6:21). Our heart always points in some direction: it is like a compass seeking its bearing.”
The Holy Father reminded us that “Lent is the time to rediscover the direction of life. Because in life’s journey, as in every journey, what really matters is not to lose sight of the goal. ...We should ask ourselves: On the journey of life, do I seek the way forward?... The Lord is the goal of our journey in this world. The direction must lead to him.”
As we prepare for Palm Sunday, we recall that Jesus’ journey home to God took him into Jerusalem, where palm branches and joyful shouts of Hosanna! would soon turn to suffering and death. Still, Jesus never lost sight of the goal.
Soon, Lent will draw to a close, and we will head into Holy Week, but we may continue to ask ourselves if we are allowing our faith in God to lead us true north as we navigate our daily lives.
Are we on our way home to God, or have we lost our way? Have we lost sight of what’s important, what’s eternal, what makes a difference in our lives, in our families and in our world?
Every pilgrim needs a compass.
Mary Regina Morrell is a Catholic journalist, author, and syndicated columnist who has served the dioceses of Metuchen and Trenton, New Jersey, and RENEW International in the areas of catechesis and communication.(April 7, 2019) Lectionary: 36
by Thomas GetteRemember the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, when two very different men went in to the temple to pray? Scripture says that Jesus told the parable to those who believed themselves righteous and who treated others with contempt.
The Pharisee in that story was thoroughly convinced of his righteousness; he followed all the rules of piety and devotion and, on the exterior, was a “holy” person, but in his heart there was pride and arrogance. He believed himself better than the tax collector, casting judgement upon him. The tax collector, on the other hand, came to God from a place deep in his heart, full of authentic repentance for his sins.
Jesus warns about this type of behavior because it is detracts from the fact that we are all sinners. When we adopt the attitude of the Pharisee, and become the type to “cast the first stone,” we become blind to our own faults and become quick to notice all that is wrong in everyone else around us. It is important that we avoid the “at least I don’t do that” type of attitude in regards to our faults and sins.
An effective antidote, then, is to begin a regular habit of an examination of conscience, a time set aside in the presence of God when we reflect on how often our relationships with God and others has been broken by our own choices and behaviors. The more we reflect interiorly, the harder it will be to become so fixated on “what’s wrong with everyone else.”
We may also avail ourselves of the great Sacrament of Reconciliation to gain the strength to overcome our faults. The more we are authentically aware of our place before God, the more we will be able to empathize with those around us, instead of identifying them with their behavior or their sins.
Therefore, let us avoid the temptation to “cast the first stone,” which only causes a rift in our relationship with God, and reflect seriously upon the words of Jesus to the scribes and Pharisees who sought to stone the woman found guilty of adultery: “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to cast a stone.”
Thomas Gette is a family man with a passion for the domestic Church. He holds master’s degrees from both Franciscan University and the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium.(July 28, 2019) Lectionary: 111
Imagine going into work each day and never saying hello to any coworkers. Lunch is met with an awkward silence and no conversation. As the day continues, everyone attempts to do their projects without communicating. Finally, the day concludes, and everyone departs without a single word.
Aside from the obvious fact that it would be virtually impossible to get any work done without communication, it would make for a strange and awkward workday to just sit alongside people and have no interaction. There would be no friendship, no relationship, no planning, and no productivity.
This is true of any environment, whether it be a home, a school, or a sports team, but it is especially true when it comes to our relationship with God.
When we start our days without prayer and do not welcome God into our plans and ideas, our relationship with God becomes awkward, the way it would for the people in the silent office environment. Sure, the day will still go by, but it will become very obvious that something is missing and everything is affected by the absence.
In the busy-ness of life, it is easy for prayer to take a backseat. It is easy to think about the million things that need to be done and for our focus to be exclusively on them. That generally sets the tone for the day, and before we know it, we have gone through the day without much thought to prayer and centering our thoughts and decisions in God.
When I fall into this rut, I sometimes joke that my prayer life has been reduced to just randomly blurting things out at God. My prayer life becomes reactionary. Then my prayers are usually “Why?” or “Help!” or “I can’t stand this, Lord” or “This is frustrating.” But things get that way because I did not invite a healthy rhythm into my day in the first place. Prayer and God become afterthoughts instead of the strength that gets me through my day.
We all have a certain prayer type that we need to improve upon and, then, practice more often. Stereotypically, most of us remain in a cycle of petition prayer. We’re always just asking things of God as if he is a vending machine. We can bring greater meaning to our prayers of praise or sorrow when they are part of an ongoing conversation we already have with God.
Prayer takes on a new meaning when we learn to just talk and listen to God about all aspects of our lives. Doing so will bring greater meaning to our days. God won’t seem like such a stranger when we go to him not only with our petitions, but with our doubts, our fears, our joys and our gratitude, as well.
Thomas Gette is a family man with a passion for the domestic Church. He holds master’s degrees from both Franciscan University and the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium.(July 28, 2019) Lectionary: 111
Gospel: Luke 11: 1-13
Adoration
Each day provides opportunities to adore the Holy Trinity. Who can help but adore the Creator when standing on the ocean’s shore, watching sea life at play? Lately, I’ve been thinking much about the enormous gift of Jesus’ Death on the Cross, and I simply adore Jesus as Savior and Lord. When ideas for an article or presentation come to mind, I stop and adore the Holy Spirit, my source of inspiration. These simple prayers of adoration help me remain mindful of the greatness of God in the world around me and in my own life.
Contrition
As I continue my journey of faith, I realize more and more my own need for forgiveness, understanding, and compassion. Over time, this realization has enabled me to pray that God would love and bless those who have most deeply hurt me. Knowing that I cannot undo the past, and mindful of my sins and failings in the present, I turn to God and pray, “Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
Thanksgiving
Many years ago, while leading a Lent retreat, I invited participants to adapt a practice long-held by our Jewish sisters and brothers—that of praising and thanking God 100 times throughout the day. For example, when waking up in the morning, thank God for the gift of a new day. When brushing your teeth, thank God for the gift of water. When dressing for the day, thank God for the gift of clothing. On a subsequent visit to the parish, a man who had attended the Lent retreat shared with me that he made the 100 daily prayers his Lenten discipline, and his life was changed because of that practice. I use this practice as a helpful reminder that no matter what I am going through, there is always much for which to be thankful.
Supplication
These days, I find myself praying many prayers of supplication. In conversation with friends and with strangers, I am often asked to pray for a person or a situation. And when I say, “I’ll pray for you,” I mean it! That is why I keep a prayer list near the spot where I most often sit to pray. There are prayers that always remain on the list—for family members, for protection, and for wisdom in my work—and there are prayer requests that are for a short time or a specific situation. Having recently read a wonderful devotional book on Our Lady of Guadalupe, I also ask Our Lady to wrap in her beautiful cloak and her loving embrace the people for whom I am praying.
ACTS: Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication.
This simple acronym is a wonderful invitation to keep our prayer lives in balance. Which kind of prayer do you need to practice more often?
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.(June 16, 2019) | Lectionary: 166
In the hurried nature of our culture, it is easy to get stuck in the momentum of doing and achieving. Usually our days are a sprint from our beds in the morning back to our beds at night. Even if we have excellent time management skills, our days can make us feel like we’ve been shot out of a canon.
The fast pace of our days has us focused on quickly moving on to the next thing. The defining characteristic in this daily race is a lack of rhythm.
Imagine if music was composed in this way: all the instruments playing in fast tempo, accelerating until a full stop. It would not be enjoyable to the listener. What makes music so effective and beautiful is the balance between silence and sound. We get drawn in by this dance of melody and harmony and rhythm. Classical music especially is known for its moments of “grand pause.” Such moments give dramatic effect and a bit of rest.
Similarly, when our lives speed along, it becomes very difficult to listen to the voice of God. The Holy Spirit is always trying to guide us and speak to us. But if we do not give ourselves moments to listen, we can easily miss out.
This is especially true when we are facing difficult moments. Taking time to pause and listen and seek guidance from the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to see clearly in times of trial and stress. It is often said that decisions should not be made under stress. We can be at peace knowing we have a sure guide to help us navigate.
Even if we are not facing a particularly difficult situation, finding a way to create a rhythm to our days will bring about much more peace and clarity. Punctuating our days with prayer and silence can help us stay connected with God and can help us keep from feeling suffocated and drained from overwork and overcommitment. Then, when we face a difficult situation, we will have the strength and clarity to act with grace and peace.
Thomas Gette is a family man with a passion for the domestic Church. He holds master’s degrees from both Franciscan University and the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium.(June 9, 2019) | Lectionary: 62/63
by Thomas Gette
One of the issues I face in my life is getting ahead of myself with a list of all the things I want to do. For example, I might want to increase time for prayer in my life, but then I envision all the other things I want to do. As a result, I become overwhelmed and I end up making no changes at all.
If I do get started with my goal of praying more, it becomes too much to maintain, and I end up with less of a prayer life afterward. I do a similar thing with new hobbies and life goals, and with trying to serve in my parish and in my community.
In other words, I get carried away with wanting to do this, that, or the other. Then I find myself not doing anything. This situation arises when I don’t take the time to consider my gifts and talents and how to use them. Instead, I get mired in this idyllic vision of how I want to serve. This usually leads to burnout. I either become over-committed or I never get started because it feels too overwhelming.
There is no doubt that God calls all of us to serve in this world. What we often don’t consider is that God calls each of us to do something specific. It is a great spiritual exercise to discern and discover what our gifts and talents are. In fact, acknowledging our gifts and talents is a way to glorify God. It is not prideful to acknowledge our gifts. When we humbly use our gifts at the service of others, then we are truly embracing them.
There is something very liberating about this practice. When we focus on the core things that we are good at, then we become much more willing and able to make use of those gifts. It allows us to focus on doing service instead of just thinking about it.
The gift of service comes in many forms. Some, like cloistered women religious, use the gift of unceasing prayer. Missionaries give the gift of spiritual and material comfort and healing to those in far off lands. Catechists use the gift of teaching to help form virtuous and faithful Christians.
It is easy to get overwhelmed with what to do and how to serve. If we are ever feeling at a loss for how to serve, a great place to begin is by considering our day-to-day lives. Parents have the obvious task of serving their children by caring for them and raising them. But we can also look at our jobs outside of the home. Whether we are a student, a parent, or a career person, our daily duties are a type of service. They open up for us opportunities to constantly discover new ways to serve.
We do not all need to be at a soup kitchen or doing foster care, but we should each search and discover where God wants to make use of our gifts.
The goal isn’t for us to become superheroes. The goal is for us to play our part.